Brisbane teenager allegedly plotted terror attacks after being influenced by Unabomber, court hears

A Brisbane private schoolboy allegedly plotted terrorist attacks against the Liberal party and Brisbane’s Labour Day march in 2024 after being influenced by the Unabomber.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was 16 in 2024 when he was arrested by counter-terrorism police.

He allegedly prepared or planned a terrorist attack, using over-the-counter chemicals to attack premises or people associated with the Liberal party of Australia.

He also allegedly made plans to bomb the 2024 Labour Day march, including drawing an image of an explosion at Boundary Road, along its route, the court heard.

Justice Sean Cooper heard the teenager referred to his alleged terrorist plans as his “little future project”.

The teenager pleaded not guilty in Queensland supreme court on Monday morning, and a jury of 14 was empanelled.

Commonwealth prosecutor Sue Flynn told the court he had researched bomb-making, bought chemicals and tested explosives in preparation for an attack and communicated for months about terrorism, bombs and explosives.

She alleged the attack was designed to further an anti-capitalist, anti-technology ideology akin to that of Unabomber Ted Kaczynski.

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The court heard he repeatedly communicated with friends about Kaczynski, who was responsible for a 17-year campaign of letter bombing, which killed three people. Kaczynski ended his terrorist campaign in 1995 after newspapers published his manifesto Industrial Society and Its Future, Flynn said.

It criticised the Industrial Revolution and called for a return to hunting and gathering, and advocated the use of violence to spread the message, she said.

He was dubbed the Unabomber in the media before his identity was revealed in 1996 after his capture by police.

The court heard he told his friends in one TikTok message that “the Unabomber was right” and shared numerous memes and other messages about the man, including about his 2023 death in prison.

The Brisbane teenager had a copy of the 35,000-word essay and wrote and updated his own manifesto with similar themes, Flynn said.

The manifesto said society was failing due in part to “the technological system”.

“Ever since its disastrous advancement from the 20th century, it has been a main producer for today’s societal problems,” he wrote.

“The other main producer of society’s issues is man’s greed and capitalistic ideals, which is shown time and time again throughout history to cause wars, genocides, loss of life, famines, loss of autonomy, etc.”