Lidia Thorpe has launched an extraordinary attack on Anthony Albanese and Australia’s police forces in a foul-mouthed rant after she was threatened by a neo-Nazi.
The independent Senator gave a speech outside outside the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne on Thursday afternoon – with ABC cutting its live feed of her press conference after she made a defamatory comment about the PM.
Ms Thorpe was speaking after a disturbing video emerged of a neo-Nazi threatening the senator and burning the Aboriginal flag.
She then said that the Voice to Parliament referendum had led to racist attacks and threats against her.
‘The referendum is an act of genocide against my people,’ she said.
Lidia Thorpe (pictured) has savaged Anthony Albanese and the police after she was threatened by a neo-Nazi in a vile video posted online
Then, in an unhinged spray, she added: ‘And the Prime Minister knows exactly what he’s doing. He wants the f***ing fascist to come out and get me.’
The Gunnai, Gunditjmara and Djab Warrung woman then targeted Victoria Police.
‘That’s what he wants because his violent force that he has sent to protect me can’t even protect me,’ she said.
‘Refused to protect the black sovereign woman because the police are part of the problem in this country.
She added that she couldn’t ‘ring 000’ or ‘rely on Victoria police’.
The national broadcaster cut away from her press conference.
The video Ms Thorpe was shaken by shows a man, who is dressed in black and wearing a balaclava, claiming to be from neo-Nazi group Warriors for Convict Resistance.
Using a voice modulator, he reads a statement from his phone endorsing ‘white Australia’, makes racist comments about Indigenous people and threatens Senator Thorpe.
He then burns the Aboriginal flag and performs a Nazi salute.
The Australian Federal Police were made aware of the video on Tuesday when it was posted to social media site X.
It has since been taken down and the account that posted it has been de-activated but the AFP is continuing to investigate the matter.
‘Reports of harassment, nuisance, offensive and threatening communications against parliamentarians/electoral offices have increased in the past two years, including via social media,’ an AFP spokesperson told AAP.
‘Threats of harm or violence against Australian high office holders are criminal offences and will be fully investigated by the AFP.’
The Australian Federal Police are investigating a disturbing video of a balaclava-clad neo-Nazi threatening Lidia Thorpe before burning an Aboriginal flag
Federal government frontbenchers have denounced the vile clip.
Government Services Minister Bill Shorten described it as ‘cowardly and disgusting’ during an appearance on Nine’s Today Show on Thursday.
‘I don’t know what it is with these man-baby Nazis,’ he said.
‘Wearing a hood so no one can see you. They think they’re so tough.’
He later added: ‘I wish that bloke would take his hood off so people can see what kind of joker he is.’
‘The guy can’t even remember his lines, he has to read it off a phone.’
Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil also chimed in.
‘That video is menacing, disgusting, and it is obviously deliberately targeting her to stop her from expressing her views,’ she said on the program.
‘I have plenty of political differences with Senator Lidia Thorpe but no-one in our country deserves to be treated that way, but certainly not someone living in this country.’
Federal government frontbenchers including Government Services Minister Bill Shorten (pictured) have condemned the clip
Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil (pictured) slammed the video as ‘menacing, disgusting’
‘We cannot live in a strong democracy like Australia around for someone to be treated this way.
‘It is appalling disgusting and the Australian Government will be doing everything we can to support Senator Lidia Thorpe through what must be an absolutely terrifying experience .’
A similar video created by the same neo-Nazi group in February 2022 used a racial slur against the Blak Sovereign Movement leader and showed the Aboriginal flag being burned.
The Albanese government announced a law to ban the public display or sale of Nazi symbols earlier this year.
Victoria passed legislation banning the public display of the Nazi swastika in May of last year.
It makes it a criminal offence for anyone to intentionally display the Nazi symbol in public, and those who do will face penalties of up to nearly $22,000, 12 months in jail, or both.
People will only be charged if they do not comply with a police directive to remove the symbol.
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