Australian lawmakers have voted to censure an Aboriginal senator who mocked King Charles during a visit to Canberra last month, to express their “disapproval” of the protest.
Lidia Thorpe loudly shouted “you are not my Lord” and “this is not your world” shortly after the King spoke in the Great Hall of Parliament, in an attempt to highlight the effects of British colonial rule.
The Senate impeachment, which passed 46-12, described Thorpe’s actions as “disrespectful and disruptive” and said he should be removed from the chamber as a member of any committee.
A motion of impeachment is a political symbol but has no constitutional or legal weight.
Shortly after the Senate vote on Monday, Thorpe told reporters that he was denied his right to answer in court because of the flight delay.
“The British Empire has committed horrific crimes against the first peoples of this country… I will not remain silent,” the independent senator said.
His protest last month drew ire from across the political spectrum, as well as prominent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders.
But it was also praised by some activists who said it highlighted the plight of Australia’s first inhabitants, who endured colonial violence and still face significant disadvantages in terms of health, wealth, education, and life expectancy compared to non-Aboriginal Australians.
Despite the protest, the King has been warmly welcomed by Australian crowds on his five-day tour with Queen Camilla.
“You have shown great respect for the Australian people, even at times when we were discussing the future of our constitutional arrangements and the nature of our relationship with the Crown. Nothing stands still,” said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in an official speech.
Thorpe has a history of Indigenous activism that has, at times, grabbed international headlines.
During her swearing-in in 2022, a woman from Gunnai, Gunditjmara and Djab Wurrung called Queen Elizabeth II a colonialist – and was asked to re-swear in after criticism.
Last year, Australia completely rejected a proposal to give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people constitutional recognition and allow them to establish a body to advise parliament on issues affecting their communities.
The referendum – known as the Voice – has been mired in a damaging campaign, and both sides of politics are now seeking to move on quickly, leaving uncertainty over future policy.
Although the data suggests a majority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people voted ‘Yes’, support was not unanimous. Thorpe himself was a leading ‘No’ campaigner, criticizing the measure as tokenistic.
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