Growing frustration with the lack of change to Australia’s marriage law was evident at the Equal Love’s marriage equality rally that took place in the Perth CBD today.
An estimated 500 people took to the streets today in a protest that circled the city centre and included a mass sit down on William Street that brought city traffic to a halt. The sit down, which took place on the corner of William and Hay Street, had cars attempting U-turns and revving their engines in efforts to push protesters out the way.
Stickers were also slapped on to statues, cars and buildings. An altercation between the policemen and protestors arose when the protestors were attemptedly moved onto the sidewalk following the march.
Police intervention also occurred when Equal Love stickers that were being distributed made their way on to CCTV cameras. Despite the protest halting traffic three times during the march, no inner city police were initially to be seen.
Equal Love Convenor and protest leader, Sam Cavallaro, explained that the LGBT community are getting restless for equality in Australia.
“People are definitely wanting to have marriage equality now and they can’t see the reason why they can’t have it, so I think there’s definitely frustration in the air”, he said.
Labor Senator Louise Pratt confirmed frustrations throughout the community, stating in her speech her anger and disdain towards a lack of legislative change so far.
“This issue is so bloody simple, it should have been done and dusted and fixed by now. It is the easiest piece of legislation you could possibly write, it wouldn’t be more than half a page long”.
From the Greens Party, the newly re-elected MLC Lynn MacLaren, emphasised the need to keep campaigning.
“Now is the time to be active and vocal and talk to people from your heart about why this is important to you. Once people hear from us, why it matters, they will join us.”
“They are joining us in great numbers, we’ve already got 60% of Australians already saying that marriage equality’s time has come, all we have got to do is convince those small number of people in parliament that the time has come.”
The rally concluded in celebration, with a local lesbian couple proposing to cheers and applause. Fresh from the proposal, local lesbian Ally Jane spoke to OUTinPerth.
“We’ve been doing this for years so hopefully they’ll finally listen”.
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Nadine Walker
