Aboriginal Australian protester arrested in Sydney during Charles and Camilla's tour after shouting 'he's not my King'
22 October 2024, 06:26
Police have arrested an Aboriginal Australian man who was protesting outside the Sydney Opera House ahead of a visit by King Charles and Queen Camilla.
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Wayne Wharton, a prominent indigenous rights campaigner in Australia, was seen being put into a police van after shouting "he's not my King" and refusing to move on when asked.
It comes after an Australian senator, also of Aboriginal heritage, heckled Charles during a speech in Canberra on Monday.
She later posted a cartoon online that depicted the monarch beheaded.
During Mr Wharton's protest, some members of the thousands-strong crowd that had gathered to wait for the arrival of Charles and Camilla shouted back pro-monarchy slogans.
Others waved Union Jacks as a show of support to the King.
Cheers were said to have rung out when police arrested Mr Wharton.
Mr Wharton had also protested outside a Sydney church during the King's visit on Sunday.
He said at the time: "We are asking King Charles respectfully to begin the process of decolonisation, to join with the Australian government and negotiate with the Aboriginal people for reparations for the illegal settlement and colonisation of so-called Australia."
On Monday, Charles was heckled by senator Lidia Thorpe who told him that he had "destroyed" her land - as he gave a speech during his tour of the country.
The King had been giving a speech in Canberra about his relationship with Australia, with Camilla and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in attendance, as well as a large crowd.
He had just finished speaking at the event at Government House and was receiving applause as Senator Lidia Thorpe stepped into the aisle and began shouting at him for about 30 seconds.
Ms Thorpe, who has Aboriginal Australian heritage, said: "You are not our King, you are not Sovereign... you have committed genocide against our people.
"Give us our land back. Give us what you stole from us... Our babies, Our people. You destroyed our land."
She continued: "Give us a treaty - we want a treaty with this country... This is not your land, this is not your land, you are not my King you are not our King."
She later doubled down on her remarks, sharing a cartoon of the monarch's head lying next to a crown.
Charles is the monarch of Australia, as well as 13 other Commonwealth countries. Many people in these countries want their states to become a republic, although others are also support having the British monarch as head of state. A 1999 referendum gave a slight majority to keeping the monarch.
Another planned referendum was postponed earlier this year. Charles himself has said a decision on keeping the monarchy is up to the Australian people.
