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During King Charles’ visit to the Australian Parliament on Monday, Indigenous senator Lidia Thorpe interrupted proceedings with a passionate outburst, demanding the return of Indigenous lands. Her unexpected protest left lawmakers and dignitaries in shock.
“Give us our land back! Return what you stole from us!” Thorpe shouted, her protest lasting nearly a minute after the 75-year-old monarch’s speech.
“This is not your land, you are not my king,” the independent senator proclaimed, denouncing the historical atrocities inflicted upon Indigenous Australians by European settlers, which she labeled as “genocide.”
Australia, once a British colony for over a century, witnessed the displacement and deaths of thousands of Aboriginal Australians during colonization. Though the country gained self-governance in 1901, it has yet to transition to a full republic, with King Charles serving as the current head of state.
King Charles is currently on a nine-day tour of Australia and Samoa, his first significant trip abroad following a recent cancer diagnosis.
Thorpe, known for her provocative political actions and strong opposition to the monarchy, has a history of making headlines for her anti-colonial views. In 2022, during her swearing-in ceremony as a senator, she raised her fist and delivered an altered version of the official oath, refusing to pledge allegiance to Queen Elizabeth II, who was Australia’s head of state at the time.
“I, sovereign Lidia Thorpe, do solemnly and sincerely swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to the colonizing Queen Elizabeth II,” she declared, before being reprimanded by the Senate president, Sue Lines, and required to recite the oath as written.
Australia’s relationship with the monarchy remains a point of contention. In 1999, a referendum to abolish the monarchy and establish a republic narrowly failed, amid disagreement over how the new head of state would be selected. More recently, in 2023, Australians voted down a proposal to recognize Indigenous Australians in the constitution and establish an Indigenous advisory body.
