March 4 Justice returns 27 February 2022

In 2021, demonstrators took to the streets in a series of demonstrations calling on governments to do more to protect women, especially after a series of sexual abuse allegations stemming from Australian Parliament House.

On Sunday 27 February 2021, March 4 Justice returns, with events taking place in major cities across Australia.

Sarah Alice Allcroft is one of the event organisers. She told Insights that the event was returning because organisers felt that it was still needed.  

“The sheer amount of people who took to the streets to protest last year was amazing and beyond anything we had initially expected, and it’s something we’d love to see again,” Mrs Allcroft said.

“That said, it’s out of respect for everyone having worked so hard to keep communities safe and the massive amount of strain the health system is under, we have decided to take a different approach to this year’s March4Justice events and are aiming for smaller and more localised gatherings that put supporters at less risk of COVID.”

Mrs Allcroft called on Insights readers to support the rallies.

“Insights readers should join this event because in a very real way, this is the embodiment of speaking truth to power,” she said.

“Last year’s march wasn’t a one and done event because no changes were made to the situation around women’s safety that brought us to gather in such massive numbers.”

“This isn’t just the Christian thing to do, it’s the right thing to do.”

“The whole idea of this isn’t to get people marching or turning up to shout angry things at politicians. We look at this as a response to the inaction the government has shown us on these important issues 12 months on, and we’ll be here again if the government can’t even do the bare minimum of making it safer for women in their homes and workplaces.”

“This isn’t anything revolutionary that we’re asking for; we’re asking for our safety, we’re asking for the safety of First Nations women and their families from gendered and white violence, we’re asking for accurate reporting in regards to trans and gender diverse crime statistics.”

This year, the event will take place on a Sunday, something that Mrs Allcroft said was decided to allow more people to participate.

“After feedback it was decided that for people who would otherwise be working, Sunday is a better date for everyone including families to be able to participate,“ she said.

“If there’s no satisfactory movement, then we’ll be back again.”

More about March 4 Justice and its speakers can be found at the official March 4 Justice website.