Australian senator Lidia Thorpe explains furious outburst
The Indigenous senator who confronted King Charles has spoken out to explain why she shouted at him after his parliamentary address.
Senator Lidia Thorpe told the monarch “you are not my king” and demanded a treaty between Australia‘s First Nations and its government on Monday.
Ms Thorpe, an Indigenous woman from Victoria, has long advocated for a treaty between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians to recognise their autonomy and set right historical wrongs.
The independent politician has now said that as current King, Charles should “answer for” the “thousands of massacre sites” in Australia.
She told Sky News hours after her appearance at parliament: “We have our bones and our skulls still in his possession – or in his family’s possession. We want that back.
“We want our land back and we want your King to take some leadership and sit at the table and discuss a treaty with us.”
Charles and Camilla have faced low-key protests during their tour of Australia from supporters of First Nations resistance to colonisation, who have been displaying a banner with the word “decolonise” at a number of events.