Federal senator Lidia Thorpe was moved on from the Sydney Mardi Gras parade by police after footage showed her lying on the street and temporarily halting the march.
In a video of the incident shared on social media, the independent senator can be seen lying on her back in front of the truck on Oxford Street during the Saturday night parade.
Senator Lidia Thorpe lying on the street and temporarily halting the Sydney Mardi Gras parade.Credit:Twitter: @AlexDay96
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.
Senator Thorpe then got to her feet and could be seen talking with police and Mardi Gras crew.
Senator Lidia Thorpe talking with police and organisers in the middle of the parade.Credit:Twitter: @AlexDay96
“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.”
Thorpe split from the Greens earlier this month after a long-running dispute over the Voice to parliament referendum and moved to the crossbench. Greens leader Adam Bandt said at the time her defection was necessary to speak freely on issues and lead a black sovereignty movement in Australia.
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.
AAP has contacted the office of Thorpe for comment.
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