Musicians fears for safety after busker attacked in Bourke St Mall
Keskiyo Porritt was busking in Bourke St Mall when a woman hurled a cup of scolding hot chocolate in her face, the second attack on a street performer in a matter of days.
Victoria
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Busker Keskiyo Porritt was in full voice at Bourke St Mall last weekend when she felt someone come up behind her, startled Keskiyo turned around as she heard a loud scream of “f*** you”, and then her face was on fire.
“I didn’t even have a second to think before I had hot chocolate drenched all over me,” she recalls.
“And it wasn’t lukewarm, it was hot. I was so scared. My skin went numb before it really started burning again. I was so scared because I didn’t know what it was.
“I’d seen what was happening in the UK with acid attacks against women. So, I was terrified. This lady was just holding me while I was there sobbing.”
Luckily Keskiyo’s physical injuries were minimal — she thanks her full face of makeup — walking away with “really red swollen eyes” and a visible “red burn” on her left cheek for a couple of days, but mentally, there are scars.
Keskiyo, who relies on the money she makes busking to live, said she won’t stay out late now, even though that’s when it’s most profitable.
“I will continue to do it, but will pack up earlier,” she said.
“9pm is when everyone’s finished dinner and they’re just roaming the street.
“But I don’t feel safe or comfortable, and I don’t think it’s safe for any kind of girl my age, or any woman really to be by themselves in the city at that time.
“It has been getting more dangerous with the cost of home prices going up and crime getting worse.”
Keskiyo wasn’t the only musician to come under attack that weekend, with Elia Cannizzo, lead singer of duo Soul Origin, believing the same person came charging at her the next night while performing.
“We have a regular, Saturday night spot venue in the city and I saw this person full on charge at me,” she said.
“They knocked over people, spilt people’s drinks while literally charging at me. I have a barrier in front of me so I took a few steps back because I saw their face. I was like ‘holy shit, this person is coming at me’.
“They couldn’t get to me, so they lent over the barrier and just started screaming at me. The look on this person’s face was like, I’m coming to kill you.”
The offender saw security approaching so fled according to Cannizzo, but she fears there are going to be more attacks.
“It’s scary,” she said.
“It could be mental health or anything, but like it’s scary for musicians and buskers. They are targeting musicians for some reason.
“I said to security, ‘I know that person from Facebook, they’re targeting musicians and they will be back.”
Reports have been made to police in regard to the offender with video of the alleged perpetrator handed over, however no arrests have been made.
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Originally published as Musicians fears for safety after busker attacked in Bourke St Mall
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