March 4 Justice: Thousands descend on Sydney to call for equality

Thousands of people descended on Sydney today, fighting for women’s rights, but one high-profile woman was missing from the crowd.

Tens of thousands of women have taken to the streets today to call for equality and demand action on gendered violence.

There were 40 Women’s March 4 Justice rallies across Australia today, with the protests shutting down Australia’s CBDs and a number of regional towns.

Thousands of people descended on Sydney’s Town Hall at 12pm with the group far exceeding the 1500 people granted an exemption by NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard.

Despite the huge numbers, police were able to split the thousands into groups of 500 with the broken-up protesters marching their way towards NSW Parliament House.

The Women’s March 4 Justice ended at the parliament, with police erecting fencing in front of the building to keep the crowd at a distance.

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NSW Parliament fenced off to the protesters. Picture: news.com.au

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Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Opposition Leader Jodi McKay were both missing from the march today, with a number of speakers labelling their no-shows a disappointment.

“The Prime Minister needs to go, the Attorney-General needs to go and if our Premier won’t act, then she needs to go too,” speaker Dhanya Mani, who previously worked in the NSW parliament as a Liberal staffer before she was alleged sexually assaulted, told the crowd as they erupted into cheers.

Greens MP Jenny Leong also spoke outside parliament, praising the massive turnout.

“It’s appropriate we’re here outside of this toxic NSW Parliament,” Ms Leong said.

“This parliament has seen some bad, bad crimes. This parliament has seen staffers and volunteers and journalists be harassed and intimidated and assaulted and we need to say enough is enough.

“It’s Monday at lunchtime … f**k this is a good crowd.”

Hundreds of protesters also made signs for the march, with a number of them calling for Prime Minister Scott Morrison to step aside while others, from older women, lamented at still protesting for equal rights in the 21st century.

“I can’t believe I still have to protest this s**t,” one woman’s sign said.

“Would love to bond with women about literally anything other than sexual assault but here we are again,” another said.

“I like my patriarchy like I like my avocados – SMASHED,” a third read.

Dozens of signs peppered the crowd. Picture: news.com.au

Women at the protest explained why they were marching.

Sydney woman Pam Carroll told news.com.au that something had to change.

“I’m tired of the response in Canberra,” she said.

“I’m a rape victim from 40 years ago and not much has changed.

“(It’s been) so disappointing, the political response. You’ve gotta do something and they won’t unless we demand it.”

Ms Carroll called on Mr Morrison to “please leave” to pave the way for someone with women’s interests at heart.

“I think we need to find a woman to run against him and take his seat,” she said.

“He’s not a leader and he lets 50 per cent of his constituency down.”

Jess Hill, author of See What You Made Me Do and domestic violence advocate and journalist, called on the crowd to make the protest “stick”.

“When this march is over will you be silent?” Hill asked, as the crowd yelled “no”.

“Next week will you be silent? Will you ever be silenced again?

“Right now the Morrison government is banking on the media losing interest, but we will not be silenced … let’s make this stick,” she added.

A view of the march taking place today in Sydney. Picture: Gaye Gerard/NCA NewsWire

Sydney Alliance organiser Joannie Lee said until our leaders and institutions changed, nothing would happen at a ground level.

“I’m just really angry about what’s happening, this isn’t new, it’s been happening for years and years and it goes all the way to the top,” she said.

“Institutions have to change before we can actually see differences in everyday people, it’s just frustrating, I want to see change.”

Fellow Sydney Alliance organiser Thandiwe Gudu said women’s rights concerned everyone.

“As a woman it’s everyone’s issue, it’s something that everyone should be concerned about and rallying for.”

A father and daughter attending the march said enough was enough.

“You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to realise there’s a problem so I’m marching here with my daughter … all men are welcome, obviously it’s a women’s march but that doesn’t matter,” he said.

The crowds at Town Hall in Sydney. Picture: Jenny Evans/Getty Images

One of the biggest marches was held in Canberra today, where organisers planned to present the Prime Minister with a petition.

The petition requests four immediate actions:

• Independent investigations into all cases of gendered violence
• Fully implementing the 55 recommendations in the Australian Human Rights Commission’s Respect@Work report of the National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces 2020
• Lifting public funding for gendered violence prevention
• A federal Gender Equality Act