Following her heckling of King Charles during his visit to Canberra, Indigenous leader Lidia Thorpe has ignited a contentious debate in Australia.
People’s reactions to her yelling statements, such as “you are not my king” and “this is not your land,” were conflicting.
Notable Aboriginal leaders including Aunty Violet Sheridan and former senator Nova Peris denounced her acts as shameful and detrimental to efforts at reconciliation, while other activists applauded her bravery.
A violent drawing of the King that Thorpe temporarily shared on her Instagram account later drew criticism. She explained that she would never purposefully encourage violence and that it was shared by a staff member without her knowledge.
Thorpe defended her conduct in spite of the criticism, stating that she wanted to respectfully discuss the past injustices that Indigenous people had to deal with with the King. She demanded an apology for the horrors that occurred in Australia. Politicians, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, denounced her actions, but Thorpe is unwavering in her resolve to reveal the truth for the next three years.
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