Australian Senator Scolds King Charles: You are Not Our king! Give Us Back What You Stole from Our People

“You have committed genocide against our people. Give us back our land. Give us what you stole from us – our bones, our skulls, our babies, our people,” Lidia Thorpe, an independent senator from Victoria, shouted after King Charles’ speech in parliament on Monday.

The British king and his wife Camilla are on a multi-day visit to Australia. The royal couple landed in Sydney on Friday. It is the first time the 75-year-old Charles visits the country as king. It is also his first major foreign trip since his unspecified cancer diagnosis earlier this year. The British king is also the head of state of the former colony.

As the King finished his speech—which touched on his time as a schoolboy in Australia, the COVID-19 pandemic, and Australia’s vulnerability to climate change—Lidia Thorpe, a renowned indigenous advocate, approached the stage shouting, “This is not your country.”

“You have destroyed our country. Give us a treaty. We want a treaty in this country. You are a genocidalist,” she continued. “You are not my king, you are not our king! Give us back our country, give us back what you stole from our people!” the woman shouted before being led away by security guards. (Continue reading below the photo)

Earlier in the day, the royal couple were received by Aunt Serena Williams, the leader of the Ngunnawal people. She ceremonially welcomed King Charles and Camilla to the capital and asked for an apology. “We all have roles and responsibilities, and I have roles and responsibilities to my people. And I think an apology would be nice.” Does that mean the king himself has to say sorry? “Yes. Because we have to acknowledge our past.”

Charles and Camilla will remain in Australia for a few more days. Protests from opponents of the monarchy are expected during the royal visit.