Gathering for Grace
There were tears and silence as hundreds gathered at a vigil at Wellington’s Te Nga¯kau Civic Square in memory of murdered British backpacker Grace Millane.
As the sun lowered last night, young and old lit candles for Grace, 22, whose body was found on Sunday in the Waitakere Ranges.
The hundreds holding candles also came together for the many others affected by violence.
Rory McNamara said he was at the vigil, one of several held throughout the country, because Grace’s story was relatable for so many people who travelled alone.
‘‘I’ve just returned from Europe and I think we all have this option [and] that we should be safe.’’
That was why her story had affected so many Kiwis, McNamara said. ‘‘We think we’re so safe . . . and then something like this happens in our backyard.’’
At the event, Women’s Refuge representative Luisa Avia said everyone had the right to live free from violence – one in three women in Aotearoa would experience some form of abuse in an intimate relationship but those women didn’t make international headlines, or receive candlelit vigils.
Event co-organiser Kate Aschoff said to meet in solidarity for Grace was important. ‘‘It’s bringing up a wider conversation about violence against women in Aotearoa.’’
Other speakers at the vigil included Wellington Mayor Justin Lester and Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson.
Later, the Michael Fowler Centre and the Cable Car tunnel were lit up in glowing white to mark solidarity with Grace.