Lidia Thorpe says push for treaty sparked King Charles protest

Independent senator Lidia Thorpe has revealed why she screamed at King Charles in an incident that made international headlines.

Lidia Thorpe says she made her vocal protest in King Charles’ face as part of a continued push toward a treaty.

Speaking to the National Indigenous Times in the hours after her protest, the independent senator said Australia’s head of state has historic wrongs to right.

“I wanted to send a clear message to King Coloniser to say that there’s unfinished business and we want our land back,” Senator Thorpe said.

“We want the bones back. How many of our old people been going overseas and trying to get our artefacts and our bones back.”

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - NewsWire Photos - 21 OCTOBER, 2024: Australian Senator Lidia Thorpe disrupts proceedings as Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla attend a Parliamentary reception at Parliament House in Canberra on October 21, 2024. Picture: NewsWire / POOL / Lukas Coch

There are some 39,000 Indigenous artefacts held in 70 museums in the UK and Ireland.

Some items are being returned to Indigenous Australians, but the law governing the British Museum effectively outlaws items being returned to their original custodians the world over.

On Monday Senator Thorpe interrupted a parliamentary reception in Canberra for King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

“You are not our king, you are not our sovereign” “f**k the king”, she yelled at the Australian head of state.

Not my King.

Treaty now.

— Senator Lidia Thorpe (@SenatorThorpe) October 21, 2024

“Give us our land rights,” the senator said.

“Give us what you stole from us ... our babies, our people, you destroyed our land. It’s not your land, you are not our king.”

The King and the Prime Minister shared a word as the crossbench senator was escorted out by security.

On Monday night, a cartoon depicting a decapitated King Charles was shared on her Instagram account.

Senator Thorpe blamed it on a staff member and deleted the image.

“Earlier tonight, without my knowledge, one of my staff shared an image to my Instagram stories (that was) created by another account,” she wrote on Instagram.

“I deleted it as soon as I saw. I would not intentionally share anything that could be seen to encourage violence against anyone. That’s not what I’m about.”

The image was made by anti-imperialist activist and cartoonist Matt Chun.

Senator Thorpe’s outburst in front of the King received criticism from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and outrage from royalists.

Their Majesties enjoyed the Australian National Botanic Gardens in Canberra earlier in the day. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Senator Thorpe told the National Indigenous Times she had a responsibility to her ancestors to resist the effects of colonisation.

“I can’t stand silent when there are injustices going on against our people,” she said.

“Peace looks like a treaty and that’s what my old people are telling me.

“Blackfellas may not agree. But we don’t have to agree. Let’s go down the process of a treaty. Let’s work out what we want for our people, our families, our language groups and put that on the table.”

Analysis of Indigenous Australians’ decisions on the Voice Referendum vary. Some analysis shows at polling booths with more than 50 per cent Indigenous Australians, 63 per cent voted yes.

Overwhelmingly, Indigenous remote booths voted 73 per cent yes.

Senator Thorpe did not support a Voice to Parliament, saying a Voice was the “easy way to fake progress” for First Nations people without making any changes.

She instead called for a treaty.

Queensland and Victoria have truth-telling inquiries as part of their respective paths to treaty.

The senator’s protest at King Charles’ reception on Monday drew condemnation from politicians on both sides.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said Senator Thorpe’s outburst was self promotion.

“It was entirely predictable,” Mr Dutton told Seven’s Sunrise program.

Senator Lidia Thorpe momentarily disrupted the event before being taken away by security. Picture: NewsWire

“All about herself. It doesn’t advance any cause she’s interested in.”

He suggested that the crossbench senator should resign if she did not believe in the system of which she was part of.

“There is a strong argument that someone who doesn’t believe in the system and takes a quarter of a million dollars a year from the system should resign.”

The Australian Federal Police say there was no threat directed at Their Majesties and are not investigating.

Originally published as Lidia Thorpe says push for treaty sparked King Charles protest