They came in their thousands to honour 22-year-old Eurydice Dixon, who is alleged to have been murdered.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
For Sarah Robinson, 21, the murder of Eurydice Dixon in Carlton’s Princes Park last week hit close to home.
We are all Eurydice Dixon. It could have been any of our loved ones, or a stranger like she was to us, but she really is close to our hearts.
- Janet Robinson
Ms Robinson, who grew up in Ballarat, lives and studies in Parkville and regularly runs laps around Princes Park. The rape and murder of Ms Dixon has left her shaken.
“It felt like the incident happened in my space, and it’s also the kind of incident that can happen everywhere and to all kinds of people, in particular women, so I felt it important to show solidarity and no tolerance for this kind of behaviour.”
She attended the vigil with her mother Janet and hundreds of other Ballarat women, men and children to honour Ms Dixon and other victims of violence.
Bendigo vigil for Eurydice Dixon discusses women's right to feel safe in public spaces
Organiser of the event in Bendigo, Stacey Dean, said it was important to reclaim the public space following the alleged rape and murder of 22-year-old Eurydice Dixon in Carlton last week.
“Rosalind Park is a big, beautiful park in the middle of town and a lot of women don't feel safe walking through here at night in part because of sexual assaults that have occurred in this park,” she said.
Ms Dean said she had never organised a community event like this before.
“As women especially, we have been victims ourselves or know survivors of attacks like what Eurydice went through,” she said.
“The main driver for me was that we need to speak up about it and do things about it to make people aware.
“I thought it might have been me and a few friends. I wasn't prepared to organise something of this scale but I'm glad people are coming out for it and show their support. It means a lot.”
Taking action against violence at Reclaim the Park solidarity vigil
Support, respect and a gentle resistance were felt at the Reclaim the Park solidarity vigil held for Melbourne women Eurydice Dixon following her rape and murder last week.
Alison Butcher organised the event to allow the community to make a stand.
“As a woman, you have a right to walk safely and not worry about, whether you have your car keys in your hand or if you can run in your shoes,” she said.
Silent vigil held in Launceston for Eurydice Dixon
One week ago the name Eurydice Dixon would not likely have meant much to Tasmanians.
But on Monday night, thousands around the nation came together to celebrate her life after the comedian was killed in inner-city Melbourne while walking home from a gig last week.
More than 100 people attended a candlelit vigil in Prince’s Square in Launceston. The vigil was organised by three local 18-year-olds and a 25-year-old formerly from Melbourne.
Warrnambool pays tribute to Melbourne comedian Eurydice and Sydney woman Qi Yu
Warrnambool woman Esmae Gray joined a crowd of more than 50 paying tribute to Eurydice and Qi Yu on Monday night.
The former Melbourne woman wrapped in winter clothing, lit a candle and left a hand-written note for her childhood friend.
Ms Gray said hearing the news of Ms Dixon’s murder had taken days for her to mentally process and she was horrified it had taken place in such familiar territory.
“Rydi was my friend’s baby sister and we all went to the same school,” she said. “I have walked that same park so many times myself.”
The silent vigil held at the city’s Civic Green was one of dozens held across Australia.
Eurydice Dixon remembered at Wodonga reclaim the park event
Reclaiming public spaces is about breaking the public and internalised idea that a woman’s behaviour contributes to a murder, rape or assault, one survivor of rape told those gathered at Monday night’s Reclaim the Park event in Wodonga.
Hundreds gathered for a candlelit vigil simultaneously held across the state in memory of Eurydice Dixon and in protest of victim-blaming culture.
Eurydice was raped and murdered in Melbourne’s Princes Park on her way home last Monday.
Erin McCallum, 26, said rape and murder can happen at anytime of the day, with the majority of rapes and murders committed not by strangers in the dark, but by someone known.
She hoped people gained understanding about the impact of victim-blaming through her speech.
“It happened to me in the day, in the middle of Wodonga, not at night in a dark creepy alley,” she said.
“Victim-blaming makes you become your own worst enemy, your inner dialogue is saying ‘you could have done this or that’
“But it wasn’t my fault. It wasn’t Eurydice’s fault. No one this has happened to has it been their fault, we need to hold people accountable for their actions, not blame women.”