“You are not my king”: moment when King Charles is heckled by an Australian politician
Some Indigenous leaders have criticized an Australian senator's heckling of King Charles, as she faces backlash over a violent image of the monarch briefly posted on her social media account.
Lidia Thorpe, an Indigenous woman, made headlines around the world when she shouted “you are not my king” and “this is not your land” before being escorted away from an event royal in Canberra on Monday.
The independent senator's protest was hailed by some activists as courageous, but condemned by other prominent Aboriginal Australians as “embarrassing” and disrespectful.
Thorpe defended his actions at the event, but said a drawing later posted on his Instagram account was inappropriate.
The drawing – which depicted the decapitated king alongside his crown – was shared by a staff member without his knowledge, the senator said.
“I deleted it as soon as I saw it. I would not intentionally share anything that might be seen to encourage violence against anyone.”
The image, which sparked condemnation, adds to increased scrutiny of his actions on Monday.
Aunt Violet Sheridan, an Aboriginal elder who officially welcomed King and Queen Camilla to Ngunnawal Country, told Guardian Australia: “Lidia Thorpe does not speak for me and my people, and I am sure she does not speak not for many people. First Nations people. »
Nova Peris — a former senator who was the first Indigenous woman in Parliament and a longtime Republican — also called Thorpe's actions “embarrassing and disappointing.”
“Australia is moving forward on its path to reconciliation… as difficult as that path is, it requires respectful dialogue, mutual understanding and a shared commitment to healing – not divisive actions that distract from attention to the progress we are making as a country,” she wrote on X.
However, other prominent indigenous activists have welcomed Thorpe's stance.
Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts, a lawyer and author of the Bundjalung, said there was “nothing more damaging or disrespectful” than inviting the monarchy to visit the country, given its history.
“When Thorpe speaks, she has the ancestors with her.”
Speaking on Tuesday, Thorpe said she disrupted the king's parliamentary welcome ceremony after repeated written requests for a meeting and a “respectful conversation” with the monarch were ignored.
She told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that she “wanted the world to know the plight of our people in this country” and for the king to apologize.
“Why doesn't he say, 'I'm sorry for the thousands of massacres that took place in this country for which my ancestors and my kingdom are responsible'?” she said.
A chorus of Australian politicians, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, also criticized his protest, and British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer defended the monarch.
When asked by reporters if it was “shameful” that Australian politicians were shouting at the king, Sir Keir replied: “Look, I think the king is doing a fantastic job, an incredible ambassador, not just for our country , but across the Commonwealth. “.
“He is carrying out his public service despite the health problems he himself has encountered.”
Albanese said Thorpe had failed to adhere to “the standard behavior that Australians rightly expect of parliamentarians”, while Opposition Leader Peter Dutton called for Thorpe to resign.
“I really don’t care what Dutton says,” Thorpe told ABC radio in response.
“I'll be here for the next three years, so get used to telling the truth.”
