Australian senator accuses police of assault

Australian senator accuses police of assault

The federal police say they are investigating the matter.

Footage of the incident shows Lidia Thorpe being dragged back by a male officer. (Facebook pic/Senator Malcolm Roberts)
SYDNEY:
An Australian senator on Thursday claimed she was “assaulted” by police at a rally in Canberra, prompting an official review.

Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe was brought to the ground during an altercation with officers at a small anti-trans event, where she was launching a counterprotest.

Cell phone footage of the incident showed Thorpe trying to burst past police officers toward the protest and being dragged back by a male officer.

As officers tried to help Thrope to her feet she crawled away shouting “let me go”, and then walked away.

The Australian Federal Police said it was aware of the matter, adding that it was under investigation.

“The interactions between the AFP and protesters will be reviewed, and an incident has been referred to the AFP’s Professional Standards Command,” police said in a statement.

Thorpe is known for attention-grabbing protest actions.

She recently blocked Sydney’s Gay Pride Parade by lying in the road and was removed by officers.

Thorpe later said she had been protesting police participation in the event.

Stay current - Follow FMT on WhatsApp, Google news and Telegram

Subscribe to our newsletter and get news delivered to your mailbox.