During a reception for King Charles III and Queen Camilla at the Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, a dramatic moment unfolded when an Indigenous Australian lawmaker interrupted the event with a powerful outburst.
After the British monarch finished his speech on Monday, independent Senator Lidia Thorpe stepped forward and confronted him in front of the audience. Dressed in a traditional Indigenous fur cloak, she made bold accusations against the King, saying, “You committed genocide against our people. Give us our land back. Give us back what you stole from us: our bones, our skulls, our babies, our people. You destroyed our land.”
Thorpe’s outburst didn’t end there. She demanded that Australia, one of the few countries in the British Commonwealth without an official treaty with its Indigenous people, must sign one immediately. “Give us a treaty, we want a treaty in this country,” she said, before delivering a final blow: “This is not your land, you are not my king,” and shouting, “F**k the colony!” as security escorted her out of the room.
Witnesses reported that King Charles and Queen Camilla appeared to brush off the interruption, reportedly “laughing off” Thorpe’s heated demands. The moment, however, became the center of attention, overshadowing much of the royal visit.
Earlier that day, Thorpe had already made her feelings clear. She joined a protest outside the Australian War Memorial, where King Charles and Queen Camilla paid their respects. During the protest, Thorpe had a brief confrontation with police and almost got arrested.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who was present at the reception, attempted to steer the mood back to positivity. He welcomed the royal couple, stating, “Your majesties are very welcome here.” But the dramatic interruption by Senator Thorpe stirred controversy across the country.
Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott condemned Thorpe’s actions, calling them “unfortunate political exhibitionism.”
Thorpe’s outburst highlights the deep wounds that still remain from Australia’s colonial past. According to the Australian Museum, at least 270 massacres were carried out by British colonists between the late 18th and early 20th centuries, with the intent of erasing the Indigenous population. As a result, the Indigenous population dropped dramatically from over one million to less than 100,000 by the early 1900s.
For Senator Thorpe and many others, these painful histories are still unresolved. Her demands for justice and a treaty with the First Nations people reflect a long-standing struggle for recognition, sovereignty, and reparations that continues to spark heated debate in Australia today.
