Federal senator Lidia Thorpe was moved on from the Sydney Mardi Gras Parade by police after footage showed her lying on the street and temporarily halting the parade.
In a video of the incident shared on social media, the Indigenous independent senator can be seen lying on her back in front of the truck on Oxford Street during the Saturday night parade.
Two police officers then approach Senator Thorpe as the crowd began to boo.
“Get rid of her! Get rid of her,” a person in the crowd chanted during the incident.
She then got up to her feet and can be seen talking with police and Mardi Gras crew.
“About 9pm last night a woman lay in front of a float on Oxford Street, momentarily preventing the progress of the parade,” NSW Police told AAP on Sunday.
“She was later removed from the parade at the request of organisers for breaching the terms of her participation.”
Senator Thorpe took to Twitter to speak about her Mardi Gras appearance.
She said she was proud to have joined the “Pride in Protest” float.
“Black and brown trans women started the first pride march as a protest against police violence. Today, we still face violence from police.”
A spokesperson for Sydney Mardi Gras confirmed the parade had been interrupted by Senator Thorpe as she attempted to stage a protest.
“While we respect the individual’s right to protest, interrupting the parade in this way has significant implications for the safety of our participants and audience,” the spokesperson said.
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