Mon Nov 18 04:37:35 UTC 2024: ## Senate Censures Indigenous Senator for Protest Against King Charles
**Canberra, Australia –** The Australian Senate has formally censured Senator Lidia Thorpe for her protest against King Charles III during the monarch’s recent visit to Parliament House. The motion, passed 46-6 with the support of the governing Labor Party, is a symbolic rebuke, carrying no legal consequences.
Senator Thorpe, a representative of the Gunnai, Gunditjmara and Djab-Wurrung peoples, vehemently denounced the censure, stating she would not be silenced. During King Charles’s official welcome on October 21st, she interrupted proceedings with a powerful protest, accusing the Crown of genocide and demanding the return of stolen land. Her outburst, which included shouts of “You committed genocide against our people! Give us our land back!”, was captured on video and widely circulated globally.
In a statement released prior to the vote, Senator Thorpe reiterated her condemnation of the British Crown’s historical actions against Indigenous Australians. She emphasized the ongoing impact of colonization and the need for accountability. Following the censure, Senator Thorpe reportedly tore the official document in two, a gesture seen as echoing a recent protest by a New Zealand MP.
While Australia has been de facto independent since 1901, it remains a Commonwealth realm with King Charles as its head of state. Senator Thorpe’s actions have sparked a national debate about Australia’s relationship with the monarchy and the ongoing legacy of colonialism.
First Piper 