Caitlin Davies with the support of Australian Femicide Watch, Socialist Alliance, Violent Butterfly Records and other activist groups organised a fundraising concert on September 5 to highlight and educate people about violence against women.
The mixed-bill hardcore concert, titled No Bystanders, heard from 14 local bands, which volunteered to allow ticket proceeds to go to relevant charities.
The all-ages concert included face painting for children and adults, provided by Rhee Brown, and merchandise stalls which lined the Royal Park Hall venue, between two stages.
Each band, hosting several mosh pits, drew an impressive crowd. The energy of the punk/metal music matched the anger felt towards the injustice women face.
The stories of women who have become victim to femicide were highlighted. The wall was filled with faces of women who had been killed by men from 2024 to 2026. The memorial allowed participants to write letters to be read by speakers affected by domestic violence.
Two women, in particular, were the focus of photo collages: Ebony Lee and Ali Lauren. Lee, a close friend of Davies, had her life taken earlier this year. Lauren, a local, was murdered last year by a conspiracy theory podcaster.
Davies said a fundraiser after Lee’s death had raised $46,000 for victims of male violence, and was one of the main inspirations behind No Bystanders.
Violence against women is reaching catastrophic levels. Australian Femicide Watch reports that 49 women and 19 children have been killed by male violence this year, and more than 1300 women and children have been killed since 2000.
Femicide has been exacerbated by the rise of reactionary “manosphere” influencers, such as Andrew Tate, whose profile big tech algorithms push to young men.
Attendees reflected on all the issues at a candlelit vigil towards the end of the night.
Erinn, another volunteer, read Davies’ speech: “We’re standing here surrounded by the faces of women whose lives were taken by violence. They weren't statistics. They were people. They were loved. They had families, friends, futures, whole lives that should never have been cut short. They should still be here.
“A while ago, we lost my two friends, Ebony and Tam, within six months of each other. Their life ended because of a lot of complicated reasons, and so much of that traces back to male violence and the fall-out of it. That kind of harm doesn’t stop in one moment. It keeps moving through people. It affects their mental health, their safety, their relationships, the way they cope, and the weight they have to carry.”
Davies said it is important to stand up against this violence. “What you walk past, you accept. That’s part of why I called this event No Bystanders. Because silence is not neutral. Looking away is not neutral. Grief on its own is not enough. If we actually want things to change, then we have to be willing to look at this clearly, call it what it is, and do something with that.”
The event raised $10,000, of which $8000 was donated to Australian Femicide Watch, and a further $2000 to ERICA Women’s Centre.
Davies told Green Left afterwards that she wanted the event to focus on encouraging young people to recognise the signs of sexual or domestic violence “so that kids can see what toxic relationships can turn into”.