‘Our hearts lifted’: Dozens march against DV in men-led call to action through Alice Springs
Led by a group of men, dozens have marched against domestic and family violence in the Red Centre capital. See the pictures and video from the day.
Calls for unity, sobriety, and to stand up against domestic violence made by Elders from the Top End and Red Centre have lifted the hearts of women in Alice Springs, a men’s-led march against domestic violence heard.
The Tangentyere Women’s Family Safety Group made the statement at the end of the men-led march against domestic and family violence in Alice Springs, held on Wednesday.
“We gathered our voices here to meet your message so they can travel with you into the men’s march,” the statement said.
“We heard you say you want to stop the violence … We heard you say culture gives you strength. We heard you say some men have forgotten who they are in kinship and that remembering old ways is a part of healing and stopping violence … we heard you say women have been carrying too much and that you and other men need to stand up and own what is yours to make a change for women and children and communities.
“And we heard you say that violence against women and children ends with men.
“Hearing this, our hearts lifted.”
Close to 40 degree temperatures in the Red Centre capital didn’t stop dozens from meeting on the courthouse lawns after 11am to begin the march.
Men, boys, police, paramedics, members of the general public, and employees of service providers in Alice Springs began the march from the lawns, with the women waiting in the Todd Mall, joining them until the end of the march at the council lawns.
Chants of “end the silence stop the violence” echoed through the Todd Mall right before the lunch hour, with traffic brought to a standstill and roads closed in the Alice Springs CBD for the march.
Close to a hundred stayed on the lawns to listen to the eight speakers, which included frontline workers sharing their experience being at the forefront of the crisis, to Elders calling for change and unity in men’s behaviour to stop the violence.
Marius Puruntatmeri, and Elder from the Tiwi Islands in the Top End, was one of the speakers, and told the crowd how he changed his life after overcoming his own domestic violence demons.
Mr Puruntatmeri said he has now been sober for 21 years, and told the crowd “we need to respect women because they have an important part in our society just like men do”.
“We all need to love one another in a sincere and genuine way … we should all be doing that, helping someone to become the person we want them to be,” he said.
Wednesday’s march was held on International Human Rights day and organised by Central Australian Aboriginal Congress Ingkintja male health service manager Michael Liddle.
Mr Liddle also organised the same march last year, with this year’s held almost exactly a year after the first – which also brought the Alice Springs CBD to a standstill last December.
Asked if he’s seen positive change since last year’s march, Mr Liddle said it was a hard question to answer and held a belief there’s “a large contingent of men not listening”.
“The key thing, I think it’s so important to be educated, it’s so important to get your kids, young fellas to school and so important to be creating a good safe environment led by the men at home,” he said ahead of Wednesday’s march.
“Look at how many men have turned up here – there’s plenty of men that are good men and we need the voices and energy of these people.”
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Originally published as ‘Our hearts lifted’: Dozens march against DV in men-led call to action through Alice Springs
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