To: Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke and all political leaders
From: The Initiative For A Moral Economy
Everyone deserves respect, safety and the chance to make their voice heard – without the threat of violence.
First Nations people across the country are reeling from the violent, racially-motivated attack in Boorloo / Perth on January 26. During a peaceful rally for truth and justice, a man threw a home-made bomb into a crowd of Elders and children, activists and allies. [1]
This was a clear attempt to terrorise, injure and even kill members of our community.
This is not the first time First Nations people have been targeted. Last year, we witnessed 40 Neo-Nazis violently attack Camp Sovereignty in Naarm: targeting First Nations Elders, women and community members. [2]
Where we have seen swift political action in recent months in response to other forms of terror and racism, the silence speaks volumes when it comes to attacks on Aboriginal communities.
We write to you as people from all walks of life, who are deeply concerned by the normalisation of violence and racism towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Every day, First Nations people have to fight for their safety, lives and loved ones – in a country and a system that does not value Black lives. First Nations people represent one third of deaths in custody, despite being only 3% of the population.[3]
As the Minister responsible for new laws aimed at the prevention of hate crimes, you must take seriously the escalating threat of violence facing First Nations people: in the streets, online, in our workplaces and in the systems that are supposed to keep us safe.
There can be no solutions to hate and racism on this continent that ignore the experiences of First Nations people. Communities at a grassroots level are on the frontlines of keeping each other safe. It is time for our government to listen and act.
1. Perth man charged with ‘intent to harm’ after alleged homemade bomb thrown at Invasion Day rally, The Guardian, 27 January 2026.
2. Far-right group rushes Indigenous Camp Sovereignty site after anti-immigration march, The Guardian, 1 September 2025.
3. Indigenous deaths in custody in Australia hit highest level since 1980, BBC, 11 December 2025.
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