New South Wales police has confirmed it will not charge Senator Lidia Thorpe for temporarily blocking the Sydney Mardi Gras parade on Saturday night.
Thorpe lay down in front of a float on Oxford Street, momentarily stopping the parade, to boos from the crowd.
In a video posted to social media, the senator can be seen lying on the ground in front of the float, before being approached by two officers.
She was escorted from the parade soon after, at the request of organisers, for reportedly breaching the terms of her participation.
Police confirmed to Guardian Australia that the senator was not arrested and would not be charged.
Thorpe was marching with the No Pride in Genocide float, organised by Pride in Protest.
Thorpe tweeted on Sunday morning that she was proud to have joined the float, implying that she was protesting against a police presence in the parade.
“Black and brown trans women started the first pride march as a protest against police violence. Today, we still face violence from police,” she tweeted.
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
Thorpe added the hashtag #NoCopsInPride to the tweet.
In a statement announcing Thorpe would be joining the “No Pride in Genocide” float, spokesperson Mikhael Burnard said “the oppression of queer people and the oppression of Indigenous people and refugees are one and the same fight”.
The Nationals leader, David Littleproud, criticised the senator’s behaviour at the parade saying, “Lidia, please, it’s not always about you.”
Littleproud, on Channel Nine’s Today, was asked why the leaders of the former Coalition government didn’t march in the parade during their time in office.
Labor’s Anthony Albanese was the first sitting PM to join the march.
“Well, I didn’t get an invitation – as leader of the Nationals, didn’t get an invite – but good on him,” Littleproud replied.
He went on to criticise Thorpe.
“The only thing I would say that was sad is that Lidia Thorpe had to make a protest and make a scene. This wasn’t about her last night,” he said.
“It should be about the fact that we have moved on as a society and we should make sure that there isn’t discrimination against LGBTIQ people in our society. That’s what a modern Australia should look like.”
“But Lidia, please, it’s not always about you. Let them have their night and good on Albo.”
Thorpe’s office was contacted for comment.
• This article and its headline were amended on 27 February 2023. It originally incorrectly said Thorpe lay down in front of the NSW police float.
