Lidia Thorpe has long been critical of the British monarchy, saying King Charles is “not the legitimate sovereign of these lands”. Independent Australian senator Lidia Thorpe has accused King Charles of genocide against indigenous people and shouted, “You are not my king”. The 51-year-old interrupted King Charles’ parliamentary reception on Monday, chanting “You committed genocide against our people. Give us back our land. Give us everything you stole from us – our bones, our skulls, our children, our people”. A video of Ms Thorpe’s comments went viral on social media before she was led away by security personnel.
Who is Lydia Thorpe?
Born in 1973 in Carlton, Victoria, Lydia Thorpe is of Gunnai, Gunditjmara and Djab Wurrung people and has been a prominent figure in politics and advocacy for Aboriginal issues.
She holds a Diploma in Community Development and a Graduate Certificate in Public Sector Management from Swinburne University of Technology. Ms Thorpe is known for her strong opposition to the monarchy and her advocacy for Indigenous rights.
Political career of Lydia Thorpe
Lidia Thorpe was first elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly from the Northcote seat in a 2017 by-election. She received over 45 per cent of the primary vote. In December 2018, she lost her seat to Labor candidate Kat Theophanous. In 2020, members of the Victorian Greens elected Lidia Thorpe to the federal Senate seat that had become vacant following the resignation of Richard Di Natale. Her election to the Senate also made her the first Aboriginal woman to represent Victoria in the Senate. She is also the first Aboriginal federal MP from the Greens. Following her re-election in May 2022, the Greens party room elected Lidia Thorpe as the party’s deputy leader in the Senate. She left the Greens in February 2023 after the party threw its weight behind a referendum for an Indigenous voice in parliament, a reform that Ms Thorpe and some of her supporters did not accept, The Guardian reports.
Why did Lydia Thorpe confront King Charles?
After lashing out at King Charles, Lidia Thorpe was escorted out of the venue. While the parliamentary reception continued, she later told the BBC that her goal was to send “a clear message” to Charles, stressing that “to be sovereign you have to be of the land. He is not of this land.”
What are Lidia Thorpe’s views on the British monarchy?
Lydia Thorpe has long been critical of the British monarchy, calling King Charles “not the legitimate sovereign of these lands” and accusing the institution of committing genocide against Indigenous Australians.
“How can he stand there and say he is the king of our country – he has stolen so much wealth from our people and our land and he needs to give it back. And he needs to negotiate a peace treaty in this country,” she told the BBC.
She advocates for treaties between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians to right historical wrongs. Ms Thorpe believes moving towards a republic through the treaty process could help resolve “unfinished business”.
She has been involved in Indigenous activism for many years before entering politics. She has campaigned for justice system reform, environmental issues and Indigenous land rights. Lydia Thorpe’s activism is deeply rooted in her upbringing. She said in 2022, “I had no choice but to be influenced by Black activists and the Black struggle of my people… I was born into it and I know nothing else.”Lidia Thorpe has a history of high-profile protests. In 2020, during her swearing-in ceremony as a senator, she gave the Black Power salute while wearing a traditional possum-skin cloak and holding an Aboriginal message stick. The stick had 441 markings on it to symbolise Aboriginal deaths in custody following a royal commission in 1991. In 2022, after being re-elected, she referred to the late Queen Elizabeth II as “Colonial Majesty” during her oath, which required her to repeat the correct words.
