Standing up to our domestic violence shame
Hundreds of people have taken a stand against domestic violence in Palmerston North’s The Square.
The lower North Island White Ribbon riders joined bikers from the Ulysses and Patriots motorcycle clubs, armed forces personnel, the Turbos rugby team, local MPS, city councillors, police and university students to denounce domestic violence.
Gail Wood, from the Manawatu¯ Abuse Intervention Network, said it was great to see nearly 200 people turn up in support of that stand on Thursday.
There were sausage sizzles and entertainment as everybody got ready for the main events – about 80 bikers did a circuit of The Square, before teams of four did a ‘‘tutu and tights’’ relay through an obstacle course.
At the end of the race everyone was invited to take the White Ribbon pledge: ‘‘I will stand up, speak out and act to prevent violence towards women’’.
And the event capped off with a symbolic balloon release.
Originally, each balloon was to represent 50 reported cases of violence by men towards women from last year. But, organisers realised they’d need to double that, she said.
‘‘There were so many incidents last year that there would have been too many balloons. Helium balloons get very high up before they burst, and it would have created a hazard in the flight paths [above the city].’’
She said even at 100 incidents each, it still took 45 balloons to represent every reported incident – and only 20 per cent of domestic abuse cases are reported.
Levin woman Rachael Buck came to the vigil with friends to speak out about an issue that was still too often ignored. ‘‘We’ve got an awful and open secret of domestic violence in our country...
‘‘I’ve been the victim and the perpetrator of domestic violence. I know violence isn’t the key to fixing your problems.’’