This Indigenous Australian Politician Heckled King Charles In Parliament, Yelling "You’re Not Our King”
Lidia Thorpe approached the stage and shouted, “this is not your country” and "you committed genocide against our people”.
King Charles III was heckled by an Indigenous senator during his visit to Australia’s parliament. On Oct. 20, King Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla arrived in Australia for a five-day visit, marking the first time a British monarch had visited the country in more than a decade since Queen Elizabeth’s visit in 2011.
This trip was also significant because it was King Charles's first big international engagement since being diagnosed with cancer earlier in the year.
The day after his arrival, on Oct. 21, King Charles gave a speech to Australian lawmakers in the Great Hall of Parliament House in Canberra, addressing key issues, such as climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic.
In his remarks, he also acknowledged Australia's First Nations people.
As he concluded his speech, Lidia Thorpe, an independent Aboriginal senator, heckled him.
She approached the stage and shouted, “this is not your country” and "you committed genocide against our people”.
An emotional Thorpe, who is of DjabWurrung, Gunnai and Gunditjmara descent, also demanded the return of Indigenous lands and recognition of historical wrongs.
“Give us our land back. Give us what you stole from us — our bones, our skulls, our babies, our people!" she said.
She also called for reparations and a treaty between Aboriginal Australians and the government.
“You destroyed our land. Give us a treaty. We want a treaty in this country,” she said.
As Thorpe raised her fist and continued to shout, security guards escorted her out of the hall.
“This is not your land. You are not my king. You are not our king,” she yelled while she was taken away.
She could still be heard shouting, apparently from the foyer, “Fuck the colony."
While this happened, King Charles turned to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and spoke quietly, while security kept Thorpe from getting closer to the stage.
Queen Camilla left the reception shortly after the incident.
Outside Parliament, Thorpe spoke to reporters, repeating her call for a treaty and saying she would continue to resist colonialism.
Since British colonization began in 1788, Indigenous Australians have suffered from land theft, cultural erasure, and systemic discrimination.
Indigenous Australians make up about 3.2% of Australia’s population but historically have been marginalized despite having occupied the country for at least 65,000 years.
Thorpe has long pushed for a treaty between Indigenous peoples and the Australian government that would recognize the sovereignty and rights of Aboriginal Australians.
Thorpe also made headlines in 2022 during her swearing-in ceremony as a senator for Victoria when she called the Queen a colonizer.
"I sovereign, Lidia Thorpe, do solemnly and sincerely swear that I will be faithful and I bear true allegiance to the colonizing Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II," Thorpe had said at that time.
Although Australia became independent in 1901, it still recognizes the British monarch as its head of state.
The last time Australians voted on whether to remove the British monarch as head of state was in 1999, but the majority chose to keep the monarchy.
In 2023, Australians voted against recognizing Indigenous Australians in the constitution and establishing a group that would advise on matters affecting Indigenous peoples.
Prime Minister Albanese has come out in support of the idea of Australia becoming a republic, but he has also noted that there will not be a referendum on the issue during the current term of parliament, which is expected to conclude in 2025.
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Kassy Cho
Kassy Cho
Kassy Cho
