Thorpe to table 400,000-strong petition urging hate crime charges for Camp Sovereignty attack

Giovanni Torre
Giovanni Torre Published October 29, 2025 at 10.00am (AWST)

Senator Lidia Thorpe will table a petition in the Senate on Wednesday with more than 400,000 signatures calling for justice after a gang of neo-Nazis violently attacked Camp Sovereignty in August.

Senator Thorpe is expected to make a speech about the petition in the Senate at around 1.55pm eastern time.

The petition demands that the attack be prosecuted as a hate crime, that a full inquiry be launched into police failures on the day, and that decisive action be taken to ensure such violence is never allowed to happen again.

The call is backed by 21 members of the federal crossbench, who recently jointly wrote to the Albanese Government, Victoria Police, the Australian Federal Police, and the Offices of Public Prosecutions urging authorities to investigate and prosecute the attack as a hate crime and act of terrorism.

Senator Thorpe noted early on Wednesday that despite the "clear racial hatred and white supremacy" driving the attack, police have refused to investigate it as a hate crime, laying minor charges that "fail to reflect the gravity and motivation of the violence".

The Gunnai, Gunditjmara and Djab Wurrung senator said the overwhelming public and crossbench support shows that further action is needed to stamp out white supremacist violence in this country.

"In August, a gang of neo-Nazis violently attacked Camp Sovereignty; a burial place for our ancestors and a sacred site of healing, culture, connection, dance and song," she said.

"These Nazis hospitalised community members. They trampled the Aboriginal flag and desecrated our sacred site; our place of worship.

"The racial hatred and white supremacy driving this attack could not be clearer. If it were a church, synagogue or mosque, there would have been swift action from the Albanese government and authorities."

The independent senator for Victoria said police "refuse to investigate this attack on our place of worship as a hate crime".

"The charges they've laid are minor and ignore the racial hatred behind the violence. It's just a slap on the wrist for neo-Nazis. This is yet another example of the colony's acceptance and endorsement of ongoing violence and racism against First Peoples. We must not accept this," she said.

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A post shared by Senator Lidia Thorpe (@senatorthorpe)

Senator Thorpe thanked the more than 400,000 people who have signed the petition to date, and the 21 crossbench members "who have stood with us in calling for justice".

"Camp Sovereignty was established by my uncle, Krautungalung Elder Robbie Thorpe, and other Elders, as a place of culture, ceremony, and healing. It is our place of worship, and it must be protected and respected like any other sacred place. First Peoples should not be treated as lesser," she said.

"The government, the police, and the prosecutors have a duty to act decisively. This is about preventing further attacks, holding perpetrators accountable, and sending a clear message that white supremacist violence will never be tolerated."

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