This weekend thousands are marching in domestic violence rallies. Here’s what you need to know.

This weekend, expect noise.

In a spectacular show of force, thousands and thousands of men, women and children have painted signs and put aside their plans to gather in cities and towns across Australia under the title: 'No More: National Rally Against Violence'.

They've been organised by Indigenous-led advocacy organisation, What Were You Wearing (WWYW). Mamamia's own writer Nicole Madigan is speaking at Sunday's Brisbane rally.

The aim of the rallies? To stop the cycle of family violence and help victim-survivors. As the organisers have said, the more people the more pressure the government will have on them to make real change.

Watch: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese continues to talk as WWYW founder, Sarah Williams, becomes emotionally distressed. Article continues below.

CBD rallies in major cities will take place in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Hobart, Canberra, Perth and Darwin. 

Regional rally points include Wollongong, Byron Bay, Geelong, Port Macquarie, Orange, Launceston, Bendigo and Logan. For a full list of dates and times, you can see here. 

April's rally was attended by around 100,000 people nationwide, sparking a national cabinet meeting and the government's acknowledgment that we are experiencing a national emergency.

There's demands for our lawmakers to create action. To initiate proper funding for all domestic, family and sexual violence services, alternate reporting options and sexual, domestic and family violence specialists in courts. 

They're also pushing for changes to the way media report on issues of violence against women.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mamamia (@mamamiaaus)

According to Sherele Moody's Femicide Watch tally, we've lost 54 women to men's violence since the start of 2024. We're only halfway through the year.

Media personality, podcaster and TV presenter Abbie Chatfield summed up the mood aptly.

"I attended the last rally as I have been affected personally by domestic violence, and see women bear the brunt of men's violence far too often," she said in an Instagram video this weekend.

"I attended because I wanted to feel a sense of something being done to make the government see how much of a dire situation this is. There was such a great sense of coming together by the rally organisers and the participants, however it was disheartening to see how few men were in attendance. They put pressure on our elected officials to change the systems which uphold patriarchy and hence patriarchal violence."

Previously speaking to Mamamia, What Were You Wearing's Founder Sarah Williams said it's high time the government made further tangible change.

"Where is this money going? I can tell you right now it's not going to grass roots organisations. They aren't being funded." I also think for Indigenous, queer and disabled people, people of colour, there are even more barriers."

Feature Image: Getty.