Australia senator Lidia Thorpe ‘thrown to the ground’ by police at Posie Parker rally
Lidia Thorpe was thrown to the ground following her attempt to counter-protest Posie Parker. (Twitter)
Australian senator Lidia Thorpe was pushed to the ground while protesting against a Posie Parker rally.
Clips shared online appear to show Australia’s first Aboriginal senator being thrown to the ground following attempts to approach a “gender-critical” rally.
Anti-trans pundit Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, known as Posie Parker, stopped on the Parliament House lawns in Canberra on Thursday (23 March) as part of her Let Women Speak tour across Australia.
Keen-Minshull has spoken in major cities, including Sydney, Adelaide, Hobart, Brisbane and Perth, with problems at a number of events.
But her stop in Melbourne has proved to be the most controversial so far, with neo-Nazi groups joining “gender-critical” activists on the Parliament House steps.
Since then, several politicians have publically condemned her trans-exclusionary beliefs and said they aren’t welcome in Australia.
But Thorpe’s attempt to criticise Keen-Minshull – approaching her rally point, waving an Aboriginal flag – was met with force from bodyguards and the police, as supporters chanted “let women speak”.
After falling, Thorpe attempted to break free from a police officer by crawling away along the grass. She eventually joined the large crowds of pro-trans counter-protestors, who applauded her.
Thorpe told a correspondent at The Guardian Australia that officials should “be ashamed that they even let people like this into this country.”
“I went to tell her that they are not welcome here,” she said, before going on to claim: “I got pulverised by the police. I’ve been assaulted by the police today as a sovereign Gunnai, Gunditjmara woman, and the police need to answer for the assault.
“But, also, the government needs to answer why these people are allowed into this country.”
Following the trouble in Melbourne, New Zealand officials seem to become more hesitant to allow Keen-Minshull the country for the next stage of her tour.
Prime minister Chris Hipkins signalled his condemnation on Monday (20 March) while saying that Immigration New Zealand was reviewing her entry status. It eventually decided to permit the anti-trans activist to enter.
Immigration minister Michael Wood said that, despite his preference for her to “never set foot in” the country, he accepted that the decision “sits with Immigration New Zealand”.
He added: “They have assessed that she meets the criteria set out in the Immigration Act and regulations.”
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