King Charles III clashes with Indigenous activists in Australia – POLITICO

Elder Alan Murray told the King: “We have a story to tell, and I think you witnessed that story yesterday in Canberra, but the story is unshakable and we have a long way to go to get to where we want to be, and that is our goal.” ” own sovereignty.”

According to Sky News, Murray, from the Capital Local Aboriginal Land Council, said afterwards: “The Union Jack was placed on our land without our consent. We were ignored. We cannot rest on our laurels.”

An Aboriginal man named Wayne “Coco” Wharton was also arrested outside the Sydney Opera House after protesting Charles and Queen Camilla’s visit to Australia. Wharton called Charles “the king of thieves and the king of liars” as he tried to serve notice of his arrest before being led away by police.

It comes after Lydia Thorpe, an independent Aboriginal senator from Victoria, criticized Charles after he finished giving a speech at Parliament House on Monday. “This is not your land, you are not my king!” she said.

A number of incidents occurred during Charles’s first visit to Australia since ascending the throne in 2022, the first visit to the country by a British monarch since 2011.

Australia, a former collection of British colonies, united and became an independent nation in 1901, but remains a constitutional monarchy with Charles as head of state, although in practice his rule is purely symbolic and plays no role in the day-to-day governance of Australia. .

Buckingham Palace officials writing on Charles’ behalf said earlier this month that “whether Australia becomes a republic” is “a question for the Australian public to decide.”

Seb Starcevic contributed reporting.