Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been slammed by protest leaders for his involvement in a protest against gendered violence in Canberra at the weekend. Organisers hitting out at the Labor leader on social media, calling him a 'liar'.

Canberra

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has become a focal point of contention for his participation in a recent protest against gendered violence in Canberra. Protest leaders have criticized Albanese’s actions during the event, with accusations of dishonesty being directed at him on social media platforms. The rally, part of a larger movement addressing violence against women, saw tens of thousands of people marching in capital cities and regional areas across a span of three days.

The controversy stems from an incident at the Canberra rally where there was a mix-up regarding whether Prime Minister Albanese would speak. Although Albanese stated that he and another individual, Katie, had requested to speak but were denied the opportunity, protest organizer Sarah Williams disputed this claim. Williams, who has identified as a victim survivor, argued that Albanese's assertion that he was denied a speaking slot, compounded by demands to speak amid being heckled, was misleading.

In response to the upheaval, Albanese expressed a desire to refocus the conversation towards the upcoming National Cabinet meeting. The meeting, set to include all premiers and chief ministers, will also have the Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner in attendance. Among the key topics agendaed for discussion are strategies to combat misogynistic content online and enhance the sharing of information about offenders across different jurisdictions. Albanese is pushing for more coordination in addressing domestic violence and is hinting at the possibility of increased government funding for related services.

Gearing towards the National Cabinet meeting, there is a palpable expectation for the Albanese government to propose meaningful initiatives. There is a call for actions ranging from the implementation of uniform bail laws to an increase in funding for various services addressing domestic violence. The current political climate, with Labor governments in power across all Australian states except for Tasmania, amplifies the pressure for a unified response to this critical social issue.



Protest leaders hit out at Prime Minister over power 'abuse'

It's taken 27 deaths this year, and tens of thousands on the streets. The violence against women to become a political priority. This is something that requires a response, not just of every level of government, but of the media, of society as a whole. The Prime Minister is keen to show he's on the front foot. Though he attended one of the rallies, so did premiers, as people marched in capital cities and regional areas over three days. But there was some anger directed towards Anthony Albanese from the crowd in Canberra, and then confusion over whether he'd speak. To be clear, we did ask to speak, myself and Katie, and we're told that that wasn't possible, and that's fine. I respect the organiser's right to do that. That's a full out lie. The organiser, Sarah Williams, a victim survivor, later posted for him to not only demand he speak because he was being heckled, but lie was disgraceful. I'm not going to get into that sort of debate. Instead, he wants to shift the discussion to the National Cabinet meeting with all premiers and chief ministers on Wednesday. The Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner will be invited to attend. On the agenda will be combating misogynistic content online and better sharing of information about offenders across jurisdictions. There's an opportunity, I think, for the Australian Government to also increase their funding commitment. More coordination in the domestic violence area, particularly when we're talking about sharing of intelligence. The Albanese Government's response so far gives the sense that it's scrambling. It wants to be seen to be doing something. And what it does come up with on Wednesday, there's pressure for it to be substantial, from uniform bail laws to more funding for a range of services. We have Labor governments everywhere across this country except for Tasmania. If they all can't come together and work on something all being from the same colour, well what hope have we got? Ashley Raper for 10 News First.

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