7am Daniel James on the Perth pipe bomb
Jan 30, 2026
A dramatic account of a homemade explosive thrown into a crowd at a civic protest in Boorloo. A close look at the muted official and media responses that followed. Connections drawn between this incident and a wider pattern of indifference toward marginalized communities. How public pressure and satire forced attention on a story authorities tried to quiet.
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Bomb Thrown Into Invasion Day Crowd
- Around 2,500 people gathered at Forrest Place to mark Invasion Day and listen to speakers peacefully.
- An object was thrown from a balcony and landed near the stage, alleged to be a homemade explosive that did not detonate and prompted evacuation.
Muted Media Response Reveals Indifference
- Media coverage was brief and bureaucratic, with early responses framed around process not meaning.
- Daniel James argues the muted reaction reflects a national indifference to violence against First Nations people.
Selective Outrage And Dehumanisation
- The essay links selective outrage to who the victims are, noting a double standard in national reactions.
- Daniel James connects dehumanising social media content and campaign groups to a lowered threshold for contempt and potential violence.