"I Will No Longer Remain Silent"... Large-Scale Protests Across Australia Condemning 'Political Sexual Violence'

Up to 100,000 Participants in Major City Centers Including Sydney and Melbourne
Recent Series of Sexual Assault Allegations Against Senior Ruling Party Officials

▲On the 15th (local time), a protest called the "March for Justice" condemning sexual violence in politics took place in Sydney, Australia's largest city. Sydney, Australia = Photo by Reuters

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] As protests demanding the resolution of structural sexual violence issues within Australian politics took place nationwide, up to 100,000 citizens participated. There are observations that allegations of sexual assault against senior ruling party officials are spreading like wildfire.

On the 15th (local time), according to local media, protests demanding the resignation of ruling party officials accused of sexual assault and the resolution of sexual violence issues within the political sphere were held across Australia, including the capital Canberra and the largest city Sydney. Citizens participating in the protest, called the "Women's March 4 Justice," marched through the streets chanting slogans such as "Stop the violence" and "We will no longer be silent."

Major foreign media reported that "protests took place simultaneously in numerous areas, not only in major cities like Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane but also in small towns."

A citizen who participated in the protest said, "I can't believe we still have to do this," adding, "Voices demanding the resolution of sexual violence issues erupted in the 1970s, but even after 50 years, we have to repeat the same voices."

These protests occurred amid a series of sexual violence allegations against high-ranking public officials in Australia. Last month, local media reported allegations that Christian Porter, the Attorney-General, sexually assaulted a 16-year-old minor in 1988. According to reports, the person claiming to have been assaulted informed the police through a lawyer starting in 2019, and the police began an investigation in 2020. However, the investigation was closed after the victim later took their own life.

Additionally, on the 15th of last month, Brittany Higgins, a former staff member of the ruling Liberal Party, revealed that she was raped by another staff member in the office of the then Minister for Defence Industry in 2019. She initially reported the assault to the police and urged an investigation but later withdrew the report due to concerns that she might be fired. Following her revelation last month, Higgins criticized that Linda Reynolds, the minister at the time, and Prime Minister Scott Morrison were aware of the incident but took no significant action.

Furthermore, additional sexual assault allegations have recently been raised against a senior adviser to Prime Minister Morrison, causing the situation to escalate rapidly, but there are criticisms that the government's response has been inadequate. Porter, who has been accused of sexual assault, filed a complaint with the prosecution against the broadcaster that reported the allegations. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Morrison stated he is working to resolve the situation but refused calls for the resignation of those accused.

Opposition leader Anthony Albanese criticized, saying, "It is time for Prime Minister Morrison to listen to the demands of the protesters," and added, "Prime Minister Morrison's decisive action is necessary."

Meanwhile, a parliamentary hearing is scheduled to be held over the next two weeks to investigate various sexual violence allegations against the current Morrison government and the ruling party. Local media reported that both Porter and Reynolds, who were at the center of this sexual violence scandal, are currently on sick leave.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.