Thousands march in Melbourne rally against gendered violence ‘national disgrace’

More than 10,000 Victorians have rallied against gender-based violence, marching from Melbourne’s State Library to Federation Square on Sunday, chanting: “Say it once, say it again: no excuse for violent men.”

Premier Jacinta Allan and federal Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus joined the rally, along with federal independent MPs Monique Ryan and Zoe Daniel. The march was one of many held across the country in recent days to remember women who died due to domestic violence.

Protesters rally in the Melbourne CBD against gender-based violence.Credit: Wayne Taylor

Protesters held signs saying “The system has failed us”, calling the repeated deaths of women at the hands of men an epidemic.

The names of dozens of Australian women killed this year were read out, and a flower was laid on a stage for each one.

Aggie Di Mauro is the mother of Celeste Manno, who was fatally stabbed in her bed by her stalker in 2020. She told the crowd her daughter should still be here.

Instead, she is furious that her daughter’s killer, 39-year-old Luay Nader Sako, was not given a life sentence for Manno’s murder, but instead received 36 years behind bars with a non-parole period of 30 years. The decision will not be appealed by the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Premier Jacinta Allan at the protest on Sunday morning.Credit: Wayne Taylor

“I’m not getting Celeste back, but I want justice,” Aggie Di Mauro said. “It’s hard to look in the mirror now, because I slept through the most crucial two minutes and 39 seconds of her life.

“Celeste was failed. We were told to trust the process … but the state has failed her again.”

Premier Allan, who led the march, said all governments had to do more to prevent violence against women.

“I want to thank the thousands and thousands of Victorians and Australians who have come together over the course of this weekend to say enough is enough,” she said. “Women deserve the right, we demand the right to be safe in every space, in every space. And we are seeing continuously too many women are losing their lives.”

The premier led the rally.Credit: Wayne Taylor

The premier added: “There were women at the march today, like me, we’ve been marching on this issue for decades and decades and decades. We’ve had enough. We’ve had enough of being angry and outraged and sad, and grieving for women who’ve lost their lives, for women who have been seriously injured, for women who are too traumatised to participate in the workplace, to participate as members of our community.”

Victorian Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell said women were “screaming out in desperation” for the crisis to be fixed.

“It is not up to us to prove that we’re deserving of safety, of respect of our own freedom, our own autonomy. It is up to men to do f---ing better,” she said.

Waving at her three-year-old niece Olivia in the crowd, Purcell told the thousands assembled that she was committed to driving change so young girls didn’t grow up to fear for their lives. “She doesn’t yet know how unsafe this country is for her, and for all of us, and I hope she never has to.”

Protesters hold placards of women who were killed in alleged incidents of gender-based violence.Credit: Wayne Taylor

The rallies were organised by What Were You Wearing, an Indigenous-led not-for-profit fighting against gender-based violence in Australia.

“We want the government to acknowledge this is a national emergency,” the organisation’s social media manager, Martina Ferreta, told the crowd.

“I want to thank each and every one of you who have attended today, especially in a time when a lot of us aren’t feeling safe outside simply because they exist. It takes a lot of bravery to be out there.”

The organisation is calling for additional funding for domestic and sexual violence services, better reporting options for those experiencing family violence, and for the media to wait 48 hours before publishing photos of women who have died at the hands of men.

Protesters marched from the State Library to Federation Square.Credit: Wayne Taylor

Palawa woman Maggie Blanden urged those at the rally not to turn a blind eye to the epidemic of violence against women.

“We are here to shout a resounding ‘no more’ to pervasive violence against women in so-called Australia,” she said.

“It’s time for change. We won’t to stop until we see action replacing these empty promises.”

Banjima woman Keshi Moore said First Nations women were 32 times more likely to be hospitalised as a result of domestic violence than other women.

“Suffice to say, this is not just a women’s issue, this is a national embarrassment,” she said.

The rate at which men are allegedly killing women in Australia has risen significantly higher in 2024 than in recent years. The deaths of at least 26 women in the first 114 days of 2024 is equivalent to one every 4.38 days.

If you or someone you know is affected by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or the crisis line at Safe Steps.

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