The Australian Senate on Monday approved a measure of censure against Aboriginal senator Lidia Thorpe for having criticized King Charles III for the colonial heritage and the “genocide” of indigenous peoples during a ceremony in Parliament on October 21.
The censorship initiativewhich was approved by 46 votes for and 12 against, condemns Thorpe’s “disrespectful and disturbing” provocative intervention against Charles IIIhead of state of the United Kingdom and Australia, according to the Australian public broadcaster ABC.
Parliamentary censure is a legislative act that allows the actions of a member of Congress or senator to be condemned, but does not imply their removal or suspension.
After censorship, Thorpewho was not present during the vote, told reporters in Canberra that he would challenge the monarchy again in this way, while declaring that thethe motion of censure “doesn’t give a damn”.
“If the colonizing king came to my country, to our country, he would start again. And I will continue to do so. I will oppose colonization in this country. I pledge my loyalty to the true sovereigns of these lands, the indigenous people are the true sovereigns,” said the independent indigenous senator.
Aboriginal senator Lidia Thorpe, a staunch defender of the sovereignty of her country’s indigenous peoples, attracted international media attention when, on October 21, she shouted to King Charles III to “give us back our land… what you stole from our people. ” and “fuck the colony”.
“You are not our king”Thorpe then shouted at Charles III, who was touring Australia and Samoa with Queen Camilla between October 18 and 26.
That day, he also condemned the “genocide” committed against Australia’s indigenous people, as well as the pillaging of “bones, skulls” and the theft of indigenous babies.
The senator, whose intervention sparked unease among politicians and defenders of the monarchy, also demanded that Australia have a treaty with indigenous peoples, who represent 3.8% of Australia’s 27 million people and who have been systematically discriminated against since British colonization.
Australiaa country that maintains a constitutional monarchical system with parliamentary democracy since becoming a federated state, still maintains the British monarch as head of state.
Australia held a referendum in 1999 to decide whether it should become a republic, but the “no” vote won, and last year another referendum on recognizing indigenous rights was also rejected by the majority voters.
