AFP’s role under review after ‘disturbing’ treatment of Senator at Parliament House rally
The federal police treatment of independent senator Lidia Thorpe at a protest outside Parliament House has been labelled disturbing and concerning by the Indigenous Australians minister Linda Burney.
Video footage showed Senator Thorpe being grabbed by police and physically held to the ground after trying to confront anti-transgender rights activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, also known as Posie Parker, outside Parliament House.
Senator Thorpe, who has labelled the activists’s words as transphobic, then joined a counter-protest.
The Australian Federal Police said its interactions were being reviewed and the incident was being referred to the police professional standards command.
Ms Burney said the incident was worrying.
“I’ve seen the footage and it’s disturbing and concerning,” she told ABC Radio.
“My concern is for Lidia, I hope she’s getting the support that she should get, and I think the fact that it has been referred to the professional standards unit is absolutely appropriate.
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“The real issue is to make sure that her wellbeing, her welfare is ok.”
The anti-trans protests have been the subject of controversy after an event in Melbourne on the weekend drew men dressed in black who performed the Nazi salute.
Ms Keen-Minshull has denied any links to Nazism, saying the group had tried to hijack her event.
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, who is seeking advice on the incident from the federal police, said he had yet to receive the information, but was “concerned” by the incident.
