Australian Senator Lidia Thorpe Censured for Anti-King Charles Protest
Senator faces backlash for her disruptive protest against British monarchy
Lidia Thorpe, an Aboriginal senator in Australia, was censured by the Senate following a protest during King Charles's visit to Canberra last month.
During the King's address at the Great Hall of Parliament, Thorpe heckled by shouting 'you are not my King' and 'this is not your land'—a declaration aimed at spotlighting the impacts of British colonization on Indigenous Australians.
The Senate passed the censure 46-12, labeling her actions as 'disrespectful and disruptive' and suggesting they disqualify her from representing the chamber in delegations.
Censure motions in Australia are politically symbolic and carry no legal consequences.
Despite the censure, Thorpe defended her protest, citing the historical crimes by the British Crown against Indigenous peoples.
Her actions received mixed reactions; some political figures and Indigenous leaders disapproved, while certain activists praised her for highlighting ongoing disparities faced by Aboriginal communities.
Her dissent contrasts with King Charles's warm reception by the public during his five-day tour.
This incident is part of Thorpe's ongoing Indigenous activism, which previously saw her calling the late Queen Elizabeth II a 'coloniser' during her swearing-in ceremony in 2022.
Additionally, amidst political tensions around Indigenous constitutional recognition, Thorpe was a leading figure in the campaign opposing the 2022 referendum known as the Voice, which was eventually rejected.
This initiative aimed to recognize Aboriginal peoples in the constitution and establish an advisory body but faced opposition, with Thorpe condemning it as merely symbolic.
During the King's address at the Great Hall of Parliament, Thorpe heckled by shouting 'you are not my King' and 'this is not your land'—a declaration aimed at spotlighting the impacts of British colonization on Indigenous Australians.
The Senate passed the censure 46-12, labeling her actions as 'disrespectful and disruptive' and suggesting they disqualify her from representing the chamber in delegations.
Censure motions in Australia are politically symbolic and carry no legal consequences.
Despite the censure, Thorpe defended her protest, citing the historical crimes by the British Crown against Indigenous peoples.
Her actions received mixed reactions; some political figures and Indigenous leaders disapproved, while certain activists praised her for highlighting ongoing disparities faced by Aboriginal communities.
Her dissent contrasts with King Charles's warm reception by the public during his five-day tour.
This incident is part of Thorpe's ongoing Indigenous activism, which previously saw her calling the late Queen Elizabeth II a 'coloniser' during her swearing-in ceremony in 2022.
Additionally, amidst political tensions around Indigenous constitutional recognition, Thorpe was a leading figure in the campaign opposing the 2022 referendum known as the Voice, which was eventually rejected.
This initiative aimed to recognize Aboriginal peoples in the constitution and establish an advisory body but faced opposition, with Thorpe condemning it as merely symbolic.
