“Give Us What You Stole From Us": Australian Senator Yells At King Charles In Parliament

An Indigenous senator told King Charles III that Australia is not his land as the British monarch visited Australia’s parliament on Monday. Lidia Thorpe, an independent senator from Victoria, accused the crown of stealing Aboriginal land. Notably, King Charles is on a five-day visit to Australia with Queen Camilla.

After Charles addressed MPs and senators in the Great Hall of Parliament House, Lidia Thorpe approached the stage, yelling, “this is not your country”. Lidia Thorpe interrupted the ceremony by shouting for about a minute before she was escorted away by security. “You committed genocide against our people. Give us our land back. Give us what you stole from us – our bones, our skulls, our babies, our people,” shouted Thorpe, as quoted by The Guardian. 

“This is not your land. You are not my king. You are not our king," shouted Thorpe as security officers escorted her to the doors. Meanwhile, King Charles appeared not to respond but spoke quietly with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Thorpe has long campaigned for aboriginal rights and against the British monarchy.

The King and Queen have reportedly faced several low-ley protests during their trip to the former British colony, where the King still serves as head of state. Notably, Australia remains the only Commonwealth country without a treaty with its Indigenous people. Buckingham Palace has not made any official response to the incident.