Melbourne violence against women rally: Premier Jacinta Allan attends march
The Premier has joined thousands at a rally in Melbourne which is calling for tougher action on violence against women.
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The Premier has conceded that governments across the country need to do “more work” to prevent violence against women as she joined more than 10,000 people who marched in a passionate rally in Melbourne.
Rallies organised by Indigenous non-for-profit group “What were you wearing?” were held across the country on Sunday, with protesters turning up in their thousands to demand more action on violence against women.
One of the group’s demands was that a national emergency be declared, with 32 Australian women allegedly killed by a male this year.
Melbourne was forced to a standstill on Sunday as “No More National Rally Against Violence” protesters marched to Federation Square from the State Library with signs saying “we won’t stay quiet so you can stay comfortable”.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joined thousands at a similar rally in Canberra on Sunday, who protested in opposition to gender-based violence.
Joined by Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth, Finance Minister Katy Gallagher and his fiance Jodie Haydon, Mr Albanese took part in the march to remember those women killed in acts of domestic violence.
Mr Albanese earlier said in a post to Instagram Australia “must do better”.
Speaking after the protest in Melbourne on Sunday, Jacinta Allan said the thousands who gathered in the CBD sent a “very strong message”.
“I want to thank the thousands and thousands of Victorians and Australians who have come together over the course of this weekend to say women deserve the right – we demand the right – to be safe in every space and we are seeing continuously too many women are losing their lives,” she said.
“There’s more work we need to do as governments around the country, and there’s more work we need to do in our own communities.”
Speakers at the rally included American poet and actress Azure Antoinette who read out a poem she wrote about the lessons she has taught her three-year-old son.
“I tell him son we don’t hit women, I tell him son we don’t scream at ladies I tell him son for the rest of your life it’ll be your word against her truth,” she said.
“When your sisters tell you no even if you don’t like it you listen.”
Victorian Animal Justice MP Georgie Purcell, who also spoke at the rally, said that sexist jokes and abuse online and in the community “normalises” sexual abuse.
“The abuse I receive is like that of many women across the country day in and day out,” she said.
“The place I feel most unsafe is carried around with me every day in my bag but it doesn’t stop there.
“This abuse is what normalises escalating violence.
“The rape jokes, locker room banter … it all starts there.”
In a passionate address, Ms Purcell promised to “raise our voices in parliament”
“We are all worth listening to,” she said.
“We have been tasked with a crisis that is not ours to fix … it is up to men to to f**king better.”
Award-winning journalist Sherele Moody read the names of more than 30 Australian women who have died this year, with a flower for each laid on the Federation Square stage.
Melbourne mother Aggie Di Mauro – whose daughter Celeste Manno was brutally murdered by her stalker Luay Sako – demanded better “justice” for the women killed at the hands of men.
“I’m not getting Celeste back and I want justice,” she said
“They told me Celeste’s case was never going to happen again but how many (women have been killed) since then?”
In February Ballarat mother Rebecca Young was killed by her partner Ian Butler before he took his own life in a murder suicide.
Ballarat woman Hannah McGuire was also allegedly murdered by her ex-boyfriend Lachlan Young, who has been charged with her death.
Ms McGuire’s death came weeks after Ballarat man Patrick Stephenson was charged with murdering missing woman Samantha Murphy.
Last year 35-year-old Point Cook woman Chaithanya “Swetha” Madhagani was also allegedly murdered by her husband, with her body found in a wheelie bin about 30km southwest of Geelong.
Friends of Ms Madhagani are demanding that alleged killer Ashok Raj Varikupalla — who is believed to be hiding in India — hand himself in to police.
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