Claiming our community as a safe place, free from rape, violence, hatred and abuse…

we met on the steps of the Cathedral the centre of town, we sat and talked, and shared our thoughts and memories of brave, strong and wonderful women….

cold hands, warm hearts…

peace is the flower, justice is the seed..

Would you like to sign the card to show support for the brave women who testified against Police Rape, officer?…

Cop: “No. I think what you women are doing is disgusting, youre attacking the police force through saying this stuff. Your saying that ALL police are rapists.”

Me: “We aren’t saying that at all, would you like to read the card..it says..To the Heroic Women of Aotearoa(New Zealand)-

Thankyou for sharing your stories, you are brave, strong and truthful women. …it doesn’t say ‘All cops are rapists’ anywhere. Would you like to sign it, it would mean that you don’t support police who rape.”

Cop: “You’re attacking me. Police stop people from raping, you don’t talk about that do you, just because some cops were accused of rape doesn’t mean that they did it. The courts found them innocent, that means they aren’t guilty. You women are acting maliciously.”

Me: “So the court system is unjustice and is due for an overhaul into how it treats cases like these, those police officers raped these women, they abused their power and should have been found guilty, do you want to sign the card to say that you believe their stories, or are you saying that police Never rape or are never violent towards women in New Zealand.”

Cop: “You’re attacking me, look at the way you’re talking, you’re being very rude, I’m a police officer,”

Me: “So you don’t support these women who were raped by the police?”

Cop:”What you’re doing is disgusting, and you’re attacking me.”

????? (This is from memory) it was a weird conversation. One male cop, One woman in black. One International Women’s Day night.

Irinkas Thursdays in Black t-shirt

Lighting the candles.

…and this,”Indeed, one of the earliest forms of male bonding must have been the gang rape of one woman by a band of marauding men….It [rape] is nothing more or less than a conscious process of intimidation by which all men keep all women in a state of fear.” Mary Daly Gyn/Ecology.