April 29th 2024.
The organizer of a rally against gendered violence, Sarah Williams, has spoken out about the incident where Prime Minister Anthony Albanese accused her of denying him the opportunity to speak. According to Williams, Albanese had attended the No More rally in Canberra yesterday and claimed that he, along with Minister for Women Katy Gallagher, had asked to speak but were told by the organizers that it wasn't possible. In response, Williams can be seen in footage of the speech calling out "that's a lie. That's a full out lie", before becoming visibly distressed.
Williams has expressed her disappointment in the fact that neither the Prime Minister nor any other government officials have reached out to her or her fellow organizers since the incident. She stated, "He has not reached out. Very disappointing." Williams also mentioned that Albanese did not stay to listen to other speakers and left immediately after his speech without checking in on her or anyone else.
In addition, Williams has claimed that Albanese, Gallagher, and MP Amanda Rishworth had attempted to change the narrative around the atmosphere at the rally through social media posts. She told 2GB's Ben Fordham, "He was invited to speak from me, because I wanted him to speak if he was going to commit to one of our demands." However, she also stated that when she found out Albanese was attending the rally, they specifically made it clear they didn't want him to speak, but rather walk in solidarity.
Williams explained that the situation became tense when the audience began getting upset and yelling out "why are you here then?" in response to the demands not being met. In an attempt to defuse the situation, Williams asked the audience, "Do we want him to speak?" but before they could answer, Albanese interjected, saying, "I'm the Prime Minister, I run this country." Williams questioned why he would take over and make it his own agenda if he was denied the opportunity to speak.
In response to the incident, Albanese acknowledged that it was an emotional day for everyone involved and reiterated his focus on combating domestic violence. He stated, "It was an emotional day for people and I get that, on what is an emotional issue. Because women were saying yesterday, enough is enough." Albanese also mentioned that the issue of domestic violence will be discussed at the upcoming national cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
Williams expressed her disappointment that neither she nor any other rally organizers have been invited to attend the national cabinet meeting. She also reminded people that support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counseling Service at 1800RESPECT. In response to the incident, Williams has called for a change in behavior, attitudes, and culture to address the issue of gendered violence.
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