Violence against women rallies unfold in Melbourne and Brisbane as tens of thousands march for a second day in a row

Tens of thousands of protesters are marching in rallies across the country demanding action on violence against women.  

A total of 15 ‘No More: National Rally Against Gender Based Violence’ protests were planned for major cities across Australia’s capital cities and regional towns on Saturday and Sunday.

The protests kicked off in Sydney, Hobart and Adelaide on Saturday afternoon before continuing on Sunday in Melbourne and Brisbane. 

This month alone there has been a wave of women killed allegedly at the hands of men including Molly Ticehurst, 28, Emma Bates, 49, Erica Hay, 30, and the appalling Bondi Junction stabbing attack which claimed the lives of five women.

Large crowds of protesters gathered outside the State Library of Victoria on Sunday morning before marching to Federation Square. 

In a confronting scene, one woman marched with a red hand print painted across her mouth while holding a sign that read: ‘real men don’t commit acts of violence’.

Other protesters were seen holding signs that read: ‘The system has failed us’ and ‘be careful, text me when you get home’>  

The series of national rallies, organised by non-profit group ‘What Were You Wearing’, are calling for boosted funding for family and sexual violence services. 

The protests are also demanding Anthony Albanese declare gender-based violence a national emergency.

It comes as 26 Australian women have been killed by a current or former partner – a rate of one every four days – so far this year, according to data from advocacy group Destroy the Joint’s project Counting Dead Women.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan thanked protesters who attended the marches across Australia in a press conference after Melbourne’s rally.   

Ms Allan said women had ‘enough of being angry’ and deserved the right to feel safe in their lives.   

‘Women deserve the right to be safe in every space and we are seeing, continuously, too many women are losing their lives,’ Ms Allan said. 

‘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 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.’ 

It comes as Federal Attorney General Mark Dreyfus rejected the idea of holding a royal commission into domestic violence. 

Mr Dreyfus, who was in attendance at the Melbourne rally, said domestic violence should be dealt with via cooperation between the federal and state and territory governments. 

‘I think we’ve actually identified a whole range of actions already that need to be taken, and I think what we probably can say is that we need to be working harder on the kinds of actions that have already been identified,’ Mr Dreyfus said.

‘And I think what we probably can say is that we need to be working harder on the kinds of actions that have already been identified.’

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is due to attend the rally in Canberra, along with the Minister for Women Katy Gallagher and the Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth.  

More to come…