#IndigenousAustralian lawmaker confronts British royals: ‘#YouAreNotMyKing'
Story by Hilary Whiteman
October 21, 2024
“Britain’s #KingCharlesIII had just finished giving a speech to #Australia’s Parliament House on Monday when an #Indigenous senator began yelling, 'You are not my king.'
“From the back of the room, Independent Senator #LidiaThorpe shouted at the royal couple, 'Give us our #LandBack, give us what you stole,' as security officers moved to escort her away.
“The interjection came as King Charles and Queen Camilla visited the Australian capital Canberra to meet the nation’s leaders, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
During his speech, King Charles acknowledged Australia’s #FirstNations people, who lived on the land ‘for tens of thousands of years before the arrival of British settlers over 230 years ago.
“‘Throughout my life, Australia’s First Nations people have done me the great honor of sharing so generously their stories and cultures,' King Charles said.
'I “can only say how much my own experience has been shaped and strengthened by such traditional wisdom.'
“Earlier, a traditional Aboriginal welcoming ceremony was held outside Parliament House for the royal couple, but for many of the country’s Indigenous population, they are not welcome.
“The arrival of British settlers to Australia led to the #massacre of #IndigenousPeople at hundreds of locations around the country until as recently as the 1930s. Their [descendants] still suffer from #racism and #SystemicDiscrimination in a country that has failed to reverse centuries of disadvantage.
“Thorpe, a #DjabWurrung #Gunnai #Gunditjmara woman, has long campaigned for a treaty and has previously voiced her fierce objections to the British monarchy.
“Australian’s Indigenous people never ceded #sovereignty and have never engaged in a treaty process with the British Crown. Australia remains a Commonwealth country with the King as its Head of State.
“During her swearing-in ceremony in 2022, Thorpe referred to Australia’s then-Head of State as 'the #colonizing Her Majesty #QueenElizabethII,' and was asked to take the oath again.
“She did so while raising one fist in the air.
“On Monday, protesters stood with an Aboriginal flag as the royal couple visited the Australian War Memorial. A 62-year-old man was arrested for failing to comply with a police direction.
“Before she yelled at the King, Thorpe turned her back during a recital of 'God Save the King,' Australian media reported. Images showed her wearing a possum-fur coat, standing in the opposite direction of other attendees.
“#TheGreens party said in a statement that the King’s presence was 'a momentous occasion for some' but also a 'visual reminder of the ongoing #ColonialTrauma and legacies of #BritishColonialism' for many First Nations people.
“In the statement, #Greens Senator Dorinda Cox, a #YamatjiNoongar woman, called for the King to be clear in his recognition and support of ‘First Nations #justice, #TruthTelling and #healing.'
“‘He now needs to be on the right side of history,' she added.
“The Australian Monarchist League demanded Thorpe’s resignation after what it called a 'childish demonstration.’”
Government allowing exploring for more oil and gas, damaging marine ecosystems when we have enough Fossil Fuels already to cook the planet?
and Catch the Gunditjmara 
speech here: