Lidia Thorpe’s bizarre Mardi Gras protest halts Oxford Street parade
Police ask Lidia Thorpe to stop her one-woman protest as the parade ground to a halt. Photo: NSW Police
Mardi Gras organisers are scratching their heads over Senator Lidia Thorpe’s one-woman protest, which held up the Oxford street parade until police stepped in.
Footage shows her temporarily halting the march while police attempt to move her..
In a video of the incident shared on social media, the independent senator can be seen lying on her back directly in front of a float.
Two police officers then approach Senator Thorpe as the crowd begins to boo.
“Get rid of her! Get rid of her,” a person in the crowd can be heard chanting during the incident.
There's principled protest, and there's "look at me, I'm holier than thee!"
Lidia Thorpe disrupting Mardi Gras in pursuit of another cause crosses that line, imo. ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/psA0CCqQaK
— Andrew Gardiner (@AJGardineresq) February 25, 2023
Senator Thorpe then got to her feet and could be seen talking with police and Mardi Gras crew.
“About 9pm last night a woman lay in front of a float on Oxford Street, momentarily preventing the progress of the parade,” NSW Police told AAP on Sunday.
“She was later removed from the parade at the request of organisers for breaching the terms of her participation.”
What point the Victorian senator was trying to make eluded spectators, and there was no clue in her first tweet after the incident.
Black and brown trans women started the first pride march as a protest against police violence. Today, we still face violence from police. Proud to have joined the #PrideInProtest float in Sydney to say #NoPrideInGenocide, #NoPrideInPrisons, and #NoCopsInPride
— Senator Lidia Thorpe (@SenatorThorpe) February 25, 2023
A spokesman for Sydney Mardi Gras confirmed the parade had been interrupted by Senator Thorpe as she attempted to stage a protest.
“While we respect the individual’s right to protest, interrupting the parade in this way has significant implications for the safety of our participants and audience,” the spokesman said.
Nationals leader David Littleproud said it was sad Senator Thorpe decided to “make a scene” with her protest.
“This wasn’t about her last night. It should be about the fact that we have moved as a society and we should make sure that there isn’t discrimination against LGBTQI people in our society,” he told Nine’s Today program.
Senator Thorpe earlier this month quit the Greens for the cross bench over the party’s support for the Indigenous voice to parliament instead of prioritising a treaty with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.
Senator Thorpe’s office has been contacted for comment.
-with AAP
