King Charles III’s Visit to Australia Disrupted by Indigenous Protest

King Charles III’s Visit to Australia Interrupted by Protest

Shortly after King Charles III delivered his remarks in Australia’s Parliament on Monday, an unexpected voice echoed from the back of the chamber. “You are not our king,” declared Lidia Thorpe, an Indigenous senator and prominent activist advocating for Aboriginal rights. “Return our land. Give us back what you have stolen from us.”

As security personnel swiftly escorted Ms. Thorpe out of the hall, she continued her passionate protest, urging the British monarchy to enter into a treaty with Australia’s Indigenous population. She condemned British colonizers for acts she described as genocide. “Our bones, our skulls, our babies, our people,” shouted Ms. Thorpe, adorned in a traditional possum skin cloak and shaking her fist at Charles, as guards guided her toward the exit. “You have ravaged our land.”

Once outside the chamber, Ms. Thorpe could still be heard vocally denouncing the British “colony” in Australia. Meanwhile, King Charles observed the scene with an impassive demeanor, and moments later, he and his wife, Queen Camilla, departed the reception.

Senator Lidia Thorpe protesting as King Charles III and Queen Camilla attended the Parliamentary reception in Canberra, Australia. Credit: Pool photo by Victoria Jones

This incident marked a striking disruption during Charles’s inaugural visit to Australia since his ascension to the throne in 2022, although it came from a familiar figure in the landscape of Australian political protests. Ms. Thorpe, hailing from a lineage of Indigenous activists, has consistently campaigned for Aboriginal rights and has been a vocal critic of the British monarchy.

In 2022, while taking her oath of office after being re-elected to the federal senate, she raised her fist in a Black power salute and referred to the then-queen as “the colonizing Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.” Following this, she was instructed to repeat the oath, which she did with an unmistakable tone of sarcasm.

Buckingham Palace has refrained from commenting on the incident that transpired on Monday. An official from the palace, who requested anonymity, stated, “Their majesties are deeply grateful to the countless individuals who came out to show their support, and they regret not having the opportunity to engage with each and every one. The warmth and magnitude of the reception were truly remarkable.”

For King Charles, this trip to Australia represents his most ambitious international journey since the palace disclosed in February that he had been diagnosed with cancer. His itinerary has been carefully designed to allow ample time for rest and recuperation: after landing in Sydney on Friday evening, Charles and Camilla dedicated Saturday to relaxation before attending a church service on Sunday.

Later this week, the king is scheduled to travel to Samoa for a meeting of Commonwealth heads of government. There, he may encounter additional scrutiny regarding Britain’s colonial legacy. Caribbean leaders are anticipated to renew their calls for reparations from Britain for its historical role in the slave trade, as well as for the damage inflicted upon the islands due to climate change.

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