Crowds have erupted in cheers outside a courtroom in support of an Indigenous activists' attempt to bring charges against King Charles over the alleged genocide of Aboriginal peoples.
Uncle Robbie Thorpe stood outside Victoria's Court of Appeal in Melbourne on Wednesday, which coincided with Mabo Day, a watershed moment in Australian history that paved the way for native title land rights.
"I feel pretty good about how it all went today," the long-time advocate for Aboriginal sovereignty told AAP.
Mr Thorpe, a Krauatungalung Elder, has been pursing legal action against King Charles III since 2023 over the alleged genocide committed against Aboriginal peoples, with the matter moving through the Magistrates Court and Supreme Court over the years.
At a July 2024 Supreme Court hearing, he presented extensive evidence on the dispossession, colonisation and alleged genocidal treatment of First Peoples, seeking charges under First Peoples' sovereign law.
Victorian Supreme Court Justice Melinda Richards delivered her findings in February 2025, ruling the case could not proceed.
On Wednesday, the Court of Appeal heard an application to overturn that decision.
The courtroom was full of supporters, with hundreds more gathering outside before the hearing for a smoking ceremony and speeches, where Mr Thorpe criticised the legal system.
Banners reading "end the genocide" were held up by supporters, while Mr Thorpe was pictured pointing to the Court of Appeal sign as he addressed the large crowd.
"We filled the whole court, you couldn't get into the court," he said.
"We're on our way now, and we've had great support."
Mr Thorpe, the uncle of Senator Lidia Thorpe, said the appeal focused on the potential prosecution of senior Crown representatives under international genocide law.
"Genocide is a crime, not just globally, but right here in our backyard. If we are serious about stopping genocide around the world, we must start by eradicating it here in so-called Australia," he said.
The Court of Appeal ultimately reserved its decision, with judgment to be delivered at a later date.
