Alice Springs CBD at standstill as hundreds march against domestic violence
Men have led from the front in Alice Springs, organising a march against domestic violence which brought the CBD to a standstill. See the pictures and videos.
Alice Springs community leaders are calling on men to “stop the silence, end the violence” while bringing the CBD to a standstill with a march which hundreds attended.
People gathered on the Alice Springs Town Council Lawns on Tuesday morning for the march which had started on the other side of town on the courthouse lawns.
About 100 men – from the police, council, and other organisations in Alice Springs – marched through the Todd Mall, where dozens of women were waiting for them at the Flynn Memorial Church lawn.
Walking through the CBD, the crowd chanted “stop the silence, end the violence”, holding up signs that read “stop the bashing, swearing, and killing” and “what kind of man would you be”.
On the lawns, senior Arrernte and Warlpiri men urged men to treat their partners better.
The march was organised Central Australian Aboriginal Congress male cultural lead and Alice Springs Town Councillor Michael Liddle.
He said “men are running their partners over, they’re burning them in toilets, they’re flogging them, maiming them for the rest of their lives”.
“This conversation we’re having here is not meant to offend anyone,” he said.
“So when we look at these young fellows from Clontarf (Foundation), all these young kids that go to school, the number of kids running around the street here, we think, ‘What type of talk are we leaving behind for them?’
“Who is going to run Aboriginal business, Aboriginal law?”
The march comes in the wake of Territory Coroner Elisabeth Armitage handing down her findings into the deaths of four Indigenous women.
In her findings, Ms Armitage described domestic violence as “our horror and national shame”.
Days later, NT Police released statistics revealing they’d responded to 719 DV attacks in a week.
Other speakers included Central Land Council chair Warren Williams – who shared his own story of overcoming DV demons – and Penangke cultural consultant Raymond Walters, who spoke of his own heartbreaking experiences with domestic violence.
He told the crowd how he visited his mother in the hospital after she’d been attacked by her partner.
He also talked about losing his sister to her partner.
“I honestly couldn’t recognise her … and over that four period, obviously she had been subjected to a lot of abuse. A lot of physical abuse but the emotional stuff too,” he said.
“I remember taking her to the hospital and I had an opportunity to look at her X-ray – and I was absolutely devastated.”
In the crowd, many were seen wiping tears from their faces.
Medical staff also gave an account of what they’re facing on the front line, with St John southern operations manager Matt Cowie saying domestic violence has “escalated astronomically” since he started in 2006.
“It is quite gruesome when you actually do see someone who’s got burnt alive. This poor lady, she barricaded herself into the toilet and her partner at the time decided to douse it all in fuel,” he said.
“She had nowhere to go and subsequently he lit that match.
“If you’ve ever smelt burning human flesh, it’s not a very good smell and it sort of sticks with you for quite some time.
“Let’s all get it sorted, let’s get something happening, protect our kids, show them the right way and actually be men and be leaders in the community.”
Help is available, reach out to 1800 RESPECT, (1800 737 732) or text 0458 737 732.
More Coverage
Originally published as Alice Springs CBD at standstill as hundreds march against domestic violence
$140k worth of vapes seized in Palmerston police raid
A 21-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman will face court after authorities received a tip about illegal substances at the Palmerston home.
Could the monsoon skip the Top End entirely this year?
The Top End has stormed past its record for latest monsoon. Here’s when – and if – to expect it.