Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe protests and briefly stops the Mardi Gras parade

In a statement, NSW Police said a woman lay in front of a carnival float around 9pm on Saturday and “temporarily prevented the parade from progressing”.

“She was later removed from the parade at the request of the organizers for violating the eligibility requirements,” a police spokesman said.

Thorpe marched in the No Pride in Genocide float organized by Pride in Protest. She tweeted Sunday morning that she was “proud to have joined the Pride in protest float” to protest genocide, prisons and police participation in the Pride march.

“Black and brown trans women started the first Pride March to protest police brutality. Today we still face police violence,” she said.

Thorpe split from the Greens earlier this month after a long-running dispute over the parliamentary vote referendum and switched to the crossbench. Green Party leader Adam Bandt said at the time her defection was necessary to speak freely on issues and lead a black sovereignty movement in Australia.

A Sydney Mardi Gras spokesperson confirmed Thorpe’s parade had been disrupted as she attempted to stage a protest.

“While we respect individuals’ right to protest, disrupting the parade in this way has a significant impact on the safety of our participants and audience,” the spokesman said.

Thorpe’s office has been contacted for comment.

Mardi Gras celebrations continued on Sunday with dance parties in Surry Hills and The Domain. The World Pride events will continue until March 5th.

With AAP

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