Samantha Murphy’s husband has thanked the Ballarat community for their support at a rally calling for an end to violence against women, after Murphy, Hannah McGuire and Rebecca Young were murdered in the Victorian city in just two months.
Michael Murphy said he hadn’t planned to speak to the crowd, but felt compelled when he saw 1,000 community members attend Friday night, many of them holding handwritten signs.
“I would like to thank you all for coming and supporting the families of the three women,” he said.
‘If you see something that isn’t right, speak up. Let the authorities know.
“On a positive note, the support here for women and violence is incredible.”
A chant of ‘Bring Sam Home’ rang loudly through the crowd.
Samantha Murphy, 51, went missing from her home in Ballarat East while out for a run on February 4.
Hannah McGuire, 23, was allegedly murdered by her ex-boyfriend Lachlan Young a week ago.
Murphy’s husband, Mick, spoke at a rally calling for an end to violence against women on Friday night.
Rebecca Young’s family are seen comforting each other at the rally in Ballarat on Friday night.
Ms. Young’s family is seen at the demonstration. She was killed in a suspected murder suicide.
The rally honored the lives of Ms. McGuire, Ms. Young and Ms. Murphy.
Murphy, 51, disappeared from his home in Ballarat East while out for a run on February 4.
Partick Orren Stephenson, 22, has been charged with Murphy’s murder. Searches for his body resumed this week but were unsuccessful.
McGuire, 23, was allegedly murdered by her ex-boyfriend Lachlan Young a week ago.
Ms Young, 42, was found dead inside a property on the outskirts of Ballarat in February, along with her partner Ian Butler, who has links to the Bandidos motorcycle gang, in a suspected murder-suicide.
More than 1,000 people demonstrate in Ballarat after the death of three women
About 1000 Ballarat residents attended the march on Friday night in the regional Victorian city.
Many neighbors had made signs with messages of support.
The march followed the deaths of three women in Ballarat in just two months.
Many at the march held signs with the names of the murdered women.
A Ballarat local is seen holding a sign with the message “enough is enough”.
Ms McGuire, Ms Young and Ms Murphy will be honored in Ballarat on Friday night.
Ms Young’s mother, Trace, made an emotional plea at the rally, saying moving forward without her daughter “seems impossible”.
‘It may be goodbye Beccy, but your story lives on. Violence against women has to stop,” she stated.
Young’s little sister Jessica said it was bittersweet to be on stage because it was too late to save her brother, but there was hope other lives could be saved.
The Young family thanked the crowd for standing against violence against women and offered their condolences to the Murphy and McGuire families.
‘I will always miss my beautiful sister. She flies high Bec. “Enough is enough,” Jessica said.
Enough is enough: The rapid demonstration against male violence in Ballarat was organized by former Greens Senate candidate Sissy Austin.
Austin was attacked by a stranger near the national park where Murphy disappeared.
A woman held a vase of flowers at the march in Ballarat on Friday night.
Ballarat councilors were also seen at the march along with residents brandishing homemade signs.
Enough is enough: Former Greens Senate candidate Sissy Austin organized a snap rally against male violence in Ballarat.
A resident made a sign to honor the life of Hannah McGuire.
“It is time to come together to stand against violence and the murder of women in our community,” Ms Austin said.
‘Women don’t feel safe in our city. Women live on eggshells, on the edge.’
Councilor Belinda Coates said the motivating factor for the demonstration was the loss of Ms Young, Ms Murphy and Ms McGuire.
‘Their lives matter. “All lives matter,” Ms. Coates said at the rally.
‘Everyone here has been affected by gender violence. We see you, we hear you and we believe you.
‘We are here with a good dose of rage. A lot of anger.’
Coates said the crowd could channel love and anger toward change.
“There are people watching Ballarat… this is a Ballarat issue, this is a national issue, this is a global issue,” he said.
Rebecca Young died on February 16 at a home in Sebastopol, near Ballarat.
Samantha Murphy was last seen on February 4, leaving her husband and three children devastated.
The 1,000-strong demonstration is seen marching through Ballarat on Friday.
The march began at Ballarat train station on Friday afternoon.
Ms. Murphy, Ms. Young and Ms. McGuire “should still be here with us today,” Ms. Austin added.
“It is not normal that our beautiful bushlands are known to be a place where men perpetrate violence against our bodies,” she said.
‘It is necessary to denounce male violence. “We also need men to support us in the fight.”
Federal MP for Ballarat, Transport Minister Catherine King, said the violence suffered by the three murdered women happened to women in the community every day.
“After so many reports, after so many inquiries, after so many deaths… every space must be and must be safe wherever we are,” Ms King said.
‘Let’s be frank; men need to change,” Mrs. King said to cheers and applause.
The Hamilton family joined the rally holding signs with the names of the dead women and a sign that said “men of quality do not fear equality.”
Grace Hamilton, 19, said she was there to spread the message that women should not live in fear.
“I shouldn’t have to worry about myself when I want to go for a run or when I’m home alone,” she said.
A demonstration was held in the Victorian city of Ballarat on Friday, following the murder of three women in the city in two months.
A young woman is seen taking part in the demonstration in Ballarat.
The streets of Ballarat were filled with people marching for an end to violence against women
Members of the community are seen shining their telephone flashlights in solidarity.
Ballarat women Grace and Lisa have a family connection – their niece was Ms McGuire’s best friend.
Lisa has personally experienced family violence and said the Ballarat community is determined to raise awareness of the issue.
Ballarat police were doing everything they could within the confines of the law, Lisa said, but perpetrators of family violence were not providing the counseling they should.
Meredith Barclay, from Buninyong, attended the rally to show solidarity with women from all sections of society who have experienced violence.
Barclay has a 23-year-old daughter who no longer wants to walk in the bush since the murders.
“It has affected people’s sense of security and their right to walk alone,” she said.