‘Our people are hurting more now, I think, then you know, the George Floyd moment’, Lidia Thorpe says

Victorian Senator Lidia Thorpe has compared the referendum to the shocking death of an African-American man who was killed by a white police officer.

The Voice referendum is hurting Indigenous Australians more than when African-American George Floyd was killed by a white police officer, Senator Lidia Thorpe has claimed.

The outspoken Victorian has been pushing for Anthony Albanese do more to stop Aboriginal deaths in custody, demanding the federal government to implement recommendations from a 1991 Royal Commission.

The talks remain ongoing but Senator Thorpe on Monday revealed she can no longer be swayed to support the proposed Indigenous Voice to Parliament because communities were being torn apart by the campaign.

“Our people are hurting more now, I think, then you know, the George Floyd moment,” Senator Thorpe said.

Lidia Thorpe says she can no longer be swayed to support the Voice. Picture: Martin Ollman

“There are communities being torn apart. Families are fighting one another by the yes or no.

“I said I’d either pull back or they could sway me. The sway part is absolutely gone because it’s just been an absolute nightmare building up to this referendum.”

The shocking death of George Floyd in 2020 prompted tens of thousands of Australians to join the global Black Lives Matter movement, taking to the streets in support of calls to slash the number of deaths in custody and high incarceration rates for Indigenous Australians.

Senator Thorpe accused the yes campaign of running off and “feeling great about a powerless advisory body” when the government could be pushed to remove points in cells that people use to hang themselves.

“Nothing changes if it is a yes-or-no vote,” she said.

“Our people are still dying at the hands of the system.

“We need change at the highest level and we need political will from the so-called Labor government who say that they care for the Aborigines in this country. Well show us.”

Australians will vote in the referendum on Saturday, October 14.