Some Aboriginal leaders have criticized an Australian senator for questioning King Charles after she briefly posted a violent photo of the king on her social media account, sparking a backlash.
Aboriginal woman Lidia Thorpe made global headlines on Monday after she shouted “you are not my king” and “this is not your land” before being escorted from a royal event in Canberra.
The independent senator’s protest was praised as brave by some activists but condemned as “embarrassing” and disrespectful by other prominent Aboriginal Australians.
Thorpe defended her actions at the event but said a cartoon posted later on her Instagram account was inappropriate.
The senator said the painting, which depicts the king being beheaded next to his crown, was shared by a staffer without her knowledge.
“I deleted it as soon as I saw it. I will not knowingly share anything that could be seen as encouraging violence against anyone.”
The photo drew condemnation and heightened scrutiny of her behavior on Monday.
Aunt Violet Sheridan, an Aboriginal elder who officially welcomed King and Queen Camilla to the Ngunawar Nation, told Guardian Australia: “Lydia Thorpe does not speak for me and my people, I am sure She doesn’t speak for many people.
Former Senator Nova Peris, the first Aboriginal woman to serve in Parliament and a longtime Republican, also called Thorpe’s behavior “embarrassing and disappointing.”
“Australia is moving forward on a journey of reconciliation… While this journey is difficult, it requires respectful dialogue, mutual understanding and a shared commitment to healing, rather than divisive actions that distract from what we have achieved as a nation. Progressive attention.
However, other prominent Aboriginal activists applauded Thorpe’s stance.
Bundjalung lawyer and author Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts said that given the country’s history, “nothing could be more harmful or disrespectful than inviting a monarchy to visit the country”.
“When Thorpe spoke, her ancestors were with her.”
Speaking on Tuesday, Thorpe said she disrupted the king’s parliamentary welcome after her repeated written requests to meet the king and have a “respectful dialogue” with him were ignored.
She told the ABC she “wanted the world to understand the plight of people in this country” and wanted the king to apologize.
“Why didn’t he say, ‘I’m sorry for the thousands of massacres that happened in this country, for which my ancestors and my kingdom were responsible’?” she said.
Australian politicians, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, sang the chorus Her protest was also criticized, with British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer defending the monarch.
When asked by reporters whether it was “shameful” for Australian politicians to yell at the King, Sir Keir replied: “Look, I think the King has done a fantastic job, he’s an incredible ambassador, not only to our country, but also across the Commonwealth.
“Despite his own personal health challenges, he continued to do public service.”
Albanese said Thorpe had not lived up to the “standards of behavior that Australians rightly expect of an MP”. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton called on Thorpe to resign.
“I really don’t care what Dutton says,” Thorpe responded to ABC Radio.
“I’m going to be here for the next three years, so get used to telling the truth.”
