Three generations of family join Australia justice rally for sexual assault victims

Record ID: 1606238

  • Title: Three generations of family join Australia justice rally for sexual assault victims
  • Date: 15th March 2021
  • Summary: CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA (MARCH 15, 2021) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS PROFANITY*** PEOPLE GATHERED OUTSIDE PARLIAMENT HOUSE CALLING FOR GENDER EQUALITY AND JUSTICE FOR VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT AT RALLY BRITTANY HIGGINS, THE FORMER LIBERAL STAFFER WHO ALLEGES SHE WAS RAPED INSIDE SENIOR MINISTER LINDA REYNOLDS' OFFICE, WALKING ON STAGE (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER LIBERAL PARTY STAFFER, BRITTANY HIGGINS, SAYING: "I was raped inside Parliament House by a colleague and for so long it felt like the people around me only cared because of where it happened and what it might mean for them. It was so confusing because these people were my idols. I had dedicated my life to them. They were my social network, my colleagues, and my family. And suddenly they treated me differently. I wasn't a person who'd just gone through a life-changing traumatic event, I was a political problem." 11-YEAR-OLD XERO MARKS WIPING TEARS AFTER LISTENING TO BRITTANY HIGGINS SPEAK WOMAN CRYING AND HOLDING BANNER / BANNER READING (English): "NO MORE SILENCE / HEAR US ROAR!" VARIOUS OF PEOPLE AT PROTEST VARIOUS OF XERO MARKS STANDING IN FRONT OF MOTHER, BELINDA BARNARD, AND GRANDMOTHER, JANETTE CONDON (SEATED) PROTESTERS APPLAUDING (SOUNDBITE) (English) PROTESTER ATTENDING WITH MOTHER AND GRANDMOTHER, XERO MARKS, SAYING: "In the future for me, I want to be able to, I want to feel safe and I want to feel protected and I want to know that people in parliament are going to do something about it. And that, if something bad happens to me or any of my other friends, that someone is going to do something about it because right now it doesn't really feel like that's what's going to happen." (SOUNDBITE) (English) PROTESTER ATTENDING WITH CHILD AND MOTHER, BELINDA BARNARD, SAYING: "I've been part of these conversations since I was a kid. The conversation has moved on in the last 30 years but I'd like it to leap a lot further forward for my children. And I'm proud to have my child standing here next to me here today to hear the voices of other women and other people who've been through some really full-on things and have some good, strong messages to give. Yeah." (SOUNDBITE) (English) PROTESTER ATTENDING WITH DAUGHTER AND GRANDCHILD, JANETTE CONDON, SAYING: "We're standing in front of Parliament House. I've been in Canberra more than 60 years and sexual violence has been going on in that house and in that house all that time. Let there be no mistake about that. When you live in Canberra and you hear the stories and you witness things that happen, this is not new. It's gross, it shouldn't be happening, but it's certainly not new." VARIOUS OF BELINDA BARNARD (L), HER MOTHER, JANETTE CONDON (C) AND CHILD XERO MARKS (R) WALKING IN FRONT OF PARLIAMENT HOUSE (SOUNDBITE) (English) PROTESTER ATTENDING WITH DAUGHTER AND GRANDCHILD, JANETTE CONDON, SAYING: "I think it's extremely important that we all share these topics, discuss them openly with all generations. I think that's been the modus operandi of our family for a very long time and you can't be too young to find out. Unfortunately, children much younger than Xero find out, so, it's very important that families can talk about these things." PERSON HOLDING SIGN IN FRONT OF PARLIAMENT HOUSE READING (English): "ENOUGH"
  • Embargoed: 29th March 2021 08:25
  • Keywords: Australia Canberra parliament protesters protests rally rape
  • Location: CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA
  • City: CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA
  • Country: Australia
  • Topics: Asia / Pacific,Australia,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001E46Z687
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Three generations of the same family attended a March 4 Justice protest outside Australia's Parliament House in Canberra on Monday (March 15), joining the call for justice for sexual assault victims and gender equality.
    Xero Marks, 11, who identifies as non-binary, started to cry while listening to Brittany Higgins, who spoke of being raped by a colleague in parliament two years ago.
    "I want to feel safe and I want to feel protected and I want to know that people in parliament are going to do something about it," Marks said.
    Marks, along with mother Belinda Barnard, 44, and grandmother Janette Condon, 65, were among the tens of thousands of people gathered outside Australia's parliament and in towns and cities across the country.
    The March 4 Justice rallies were spurred by a recent wave of allegations of sexual assault, discrimination, and misconduct in some of Australia's highest political offices.
    Women wore black to signal "strength and mourning," carried banners with slogans including "Shatter the silence. Stop the violence" and joined "We will not be silenced" chants.
    Recently reported scandals include rape allegations against Attorney-General Christian Porter, who has strongly denied the alleged 1988 assault. Domestic media have said Defence Minister Linda Reynolds, who is under pressure over her handling of the rape accusation, had called her former staffer Higgins a "lying cow."
    The allegations involving people in Morrison's government and political party are expected to dominate parliamentary proceedings over the next two weeks.
    (Production: Jill Gralow)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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