Originally Published OCTOBER 20, 2015 in Provoke Magazine. All images by me.
On Thursday evening, a small group of Queenslanders could be seen coming together in Queens Park, gathering outside the steps of the Treasury Casino. Clothed mostly in black with roses cradled gently in their arms, the crowd stood in solidarity; quietly waiting in the fading light of the afternoon. Before too long, we heard the sound of footsteps growing in volume, as male and female members of Parliament walked in unity toward us. We were all there for a reason; we were there to make our voices heard. Enough is enough. No more victims of domestic violence. No more silence.
As we stood there together over the next two hours – men and women from every race, age and background – we came together as a community to honour those lost to domestic violence, to stand by those left behind, and to focus on change. One of the many highlights of the rally was when Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced that a second Family Violence Magistrates court would be provided in the Gold Coast, ensuring that ”every woman’s complaint” was able to be dealt with. “We must come together and do more,” she insisted.
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Thoughts From Jas 