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Senator Lidia Thorpe disrupts King Charles's visit to Parliament, yelling ‘you are not my King’

Jake Dietsch
The Nightly
Senator Lidia Thorpe has narrowly escaped arrest after tussling with a police officer during a protest ahead of King Charles’ visit to Canberra. (Jake Dietsch)

Senator Lidia Thorpe has been removed from an official ceremony for King Charles at Parliament House as the King finished his speech, yelling “This is not your land”.

The King was walking away from the podium after saying his final words at the Great Hall in Parliament House when Senator Thorpe was heard yelling from the back of the room.

“This is not your land,” Senator Thrope could be heard yelling.

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“You are not my King.”

Australian Senator Lidia Thorpe disrupts proceedings as Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla attend a Parliamentary reception hosted by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Australian Senator Lidia Thorpe disrupts proceedings as Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla attend a Parliamentary reception hosted by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Credit: Lukas Coch/AAP

Security quickly swarmed the senator who continued to protest and yell at the King, Queen and room full of dignities.

Footage cut to Senator Thorpe surrounded by security who were attempting to remove her from the room.

Earlier in the day, Senator Thorope tussled with a police officer during a protest ahead of King Charles’ visit to Canberra.

A small group of protesters were told to move back from a barrier outside the Australian War Memorial in Canberra on Monday just over an hour before King Charles and Queen Camilla were set to arrive.

A police officer repeatedly told the crowd to move to an area designated for protests.

The group — who held a large Aboriginal flag and signs condemning the monarch, AUKUS and the CIA — refused until a squad of Australian Federal Police arrived.

During the commotion, an officer pointed at Senator Thorpe and shouted “arrest her”.

The Senator tussled with a female officer but took off her shirt and walked away.

“Everything that we suffer in this country is because of that colonial invasion,” she said.

She later re-joined the crowd.

In a statement released following the scuffle, the senator called for a Treaty with Indigenous people to be signed before Australia became a Republic.

“The Crown invaded this country, has not sought treaty with First Peoples, and committed a Genocide of our people. King Charles is not the legitimate Sovereign of these lands,” she said.

Ambitions to become a republic have fallen off the Government’s agenda after the resounding defeat of the Voice referendum last year.

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