Robbie Thorpe

Thorpe is from the Krautungalung people of the Gunnai Nation{{Cite web |title=Robbie Thorpe |url=https://www.wheelercentre.com/people/robbie-thorpe |access-date=27 April 2022 |website=The Wheeler Centre |language=en}} and is the uncle of Senator Lidia Thorpe.{{Cite web |date=2 February 2021 |title='Black Lives Matter' in Australia: The perennial question of Aboriginal Deaths in Custody - Centre for Indigenous and Settler Colonial Studies - Research at Kent |url=https://research.kent.ac.uk/centreforindigenousandsettlercolonialstudies/2021/02/02/black-lives-matter-in-australia-the-perennial-question-of-aboriginal-deaths-in-custody/ |access-date=27 April 2022 |website=Centre for Indigenous and Settler Colonial Studies |language=en-GB}}

Thorpe has campaigned for Indigenous solutions in Australia since the 1970s. He is an advocate for Pay The Rent, an Indigenous initiative set up to provide an independent economic resource for Aboriginal peoples, and the Aboriginal Passport initiative.

Inspired by Bruce McGuinness' newspaper The Koorier (1968–1971), Thorpe founded and ran the publication The Koorier 2{{cite thesis| type=PhD | last=Burrows | first=Elizabeth Anne | title=Writing to be heard: the Indigenous print media's role in establishing and developing an Indigenous public sphere | year=2010 | publisher=Griffith University | doi=10.25904/1912/3292 | url=https://research-repository.griffith.edu.au/handle/10072/365622 | access-date=30 September 2022| pages=126–128 }} [https://research-repository.griffith.edu.au/bitstream/handle/10072/365622/Burrows_2010_02Thesis.pdf?sequence=1 PDF] during the 1970s and 1980s,{{cite web | title=Historical Dictionary Of Australian Aborigines | via=E-book library| first1=Mitchell |last1=Rolls| first2= Murray |last2=Johnson | date= 2011| publisher=Scarecrow Press | url=https://vdoc.pub/documents/historical-dictionary-of-australian-aborigines-5h13md477ke0 | access-date=30 September 2022}} and later The Koorier 3, published by the Koori Information Centre.{{cite book | last=Rose | first=M. | title=For the Record: 160 years of Aboriginal print journalism | publisher=Taylor & Francis | year=2020 | isbn=978-1-000-31940-8 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E-f5DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT63 | access-date=30 September 2022 | page=63}}

In 1982, Thorpe challenged the Commonwealth of Australia in a case entitled Thorpe V Commonwealth for not protecting people from crimes connected to genocide. Since 2020, Robbie has been working on a court case to charge the Crown for crimes against humanity.

Amid allegations that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza, Thorpe brought a private prosecution against Australian-Israeli diplomat Mark Regev in 2024. Thorpe accused Regev of "advocating genocide", a crime included in section 80.2D of the Australian Criminal Code.{{cite news |last=Fink |first=Rachel |date=22 October 2024 |title=Australian-Israeli Former Diplomat Mark Regev Under Trial for Genocide Advocacy |url=https://www.haaretz.com/world-news/2024-10-22/ty-article/.premium/australian-israeli-former-diplomat-mark-regev-under-trial-for-genocide-advocacy/00000192-b4e6-d006-a5b3-feee3fa30000 |work=Haaretz}} Regev was served in Israel with a Hebrew copy of the charge sheet.{{cite web|url=https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/prosecuting-the-king-the-attorney-general-and-a-netanyahu-advisor-over-genocide-a-yarn-with-uncle-robbie-thorpe/|title=Prosecuting the King, the Attorney General and a Netanyahu Advisor Over Genocide: A Yarn with Uncle Robbie Thorpe|first=Paul|last=Gregoire|date=7 November 2024|website=Sydney Criminal Lawyers}} The charge was based on remarks Regev made during a radio interview on 10 October 2023, in which he advocated for Israel to cut off the supply of essentials such as food, water and electricity to Gaza. Lawyers for the Israeli government contacted the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions and formally requested the dismissal of the case.{{cite news |date=21 October 2024 |title=Aboriginal activist files genocide case against ex-Israel envoy to UK in Australia court |url=https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20241021-aboriginal-activist-files-genocide-case-against-ex-israel-envoy-to-uk-in-australia-court/ |work=Middle East Monitor}} On 10 December, the DPP's office formally took over the case and withdrew the charges against Regev, a decision which Thorpe said he would appeal.{{cite web |url=https://www.northweststar.com.au/story/8842622/road-blocked-as-israeli-advisers-charges-withdrawn/ |title=Road blocked as Israeli adviser's charges withdrawn |website=The North West Star |date=10 December 2024 |first=Tara |last=Cosoleto}}

Robbie initiated the 3CR's Fire First program with Clare Land, after appearing on her Tuesday Breakfast program with his comrade Fantom. Between 2005 and 2006, Fire First supported and fed into the Black GST (Genocide, Sovereignty, Treaty) Collective,. a campaign to end genocide, recognise Australian Aboriginal Sovereignty and make Treaty, that protested at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.{{cite web | last=Latimore | first=Jack | title='Shouty, uninformed, ineffective': How Senator Lidia Thorpe annoys the establishment | website=The Sydney Morning Herald | date=23 April 2022 | url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/shouty-uninformed-ineffective-how-senator-lidia-thorpe-annoys-the-establishment-20220323-p5a73j.html | access-date=2 August 2022}} In 2006, Fire First presented several live broadcasts and a daily update from Camp Sovereignty.{{Cite web |date=28 October 2012 |title=Bunjil's Fire |url=https://www.3cr.org.au/firefirst |access-date=27 April 2022 |website=3CR Community Radio |language=en}}

Thorpe has produced numerous videos to support campaigns and campaigners, including advice videos for pro-Indigenous white activists in Australia with fellow activist Gary Foley. These videos are aimed at non-Indigenous people seeking to act in solidarity with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.{{Cite web |date=12 April 2019 |title=Advice for pro-Indigenous white activists in Australia |url=https://commonslibrary.org/advice-for-pro-indigenous-white-activists-in-australia/ |access-date=27 April 2022 |website=The Commons |language=en-AU}}

Thorpe's speeches and interviews are frequently captured on news and for activist films and he has starred in hip hop videos and other creative productions.{{Cite book |last=Minestrelli |first=Chiara |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vCslDwAAQBAJ&dq=robbie+thorpe+hip+hop&pg=PA172 |title=Australian Indigenous Hip Hop: The Politics of Culture, Identity, and Spirituality |date=26 October 2016 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1-317-21754-1 |language=en}}

{{as of|August 2022}}, Thorpe's own story is being captured in a new documentary film, directed and produced by Anthony Kelly, entitled Our Warrior: The Story of Robbie Thorpe.{{cite web | title=Our Warrior: The story of Robbie Thorpe | website=Documentary Australia | url=https://documentaryaustralia.com.au/project/our-warrior-the-story-of-robbie-thorpe/ | access-date=2 August 2022}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite web|url=https://paytherent.net.au/about-us/ |title=About Us {{!}} Pay The Rent}}
• {{cite web|url=https://law.justia.com/cases/virginia/supreme-court/1982/811394-1.html |title=Thorpe v. Commonwealth}}
• {{cite web|url=https://commonslibrary.org/advice-for-pro-indigenous-white-activists-in-australia/ |title=Advice for pro-Indigenous white activists in Australia|date=12 April 2019 }}

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Category:Living people

Category:Australian radio presenters

Category:20th-century births

Category:Gunaikurnai people