Thousands will descend on Monday in Canberra, Australia, to protest Attorney General Christian Porter, a member of Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s government, following an indictment that raped a girl as a teenager in 1988, Reuters reports.
Why it’s important: He 43 protests planned across the country are likely to increase pressure on Morrison, who has refused to consider an investigation into Porter after police closed it alleging a lack of information. Porter has denied the allegation and said he will not step down.
- A rally outside the parliament building is expected to have about 85,000 attendees, according to Reuters.
Morrison will now be missing two cabinet members when parliament resumes Monday. Her defense minister, Linda Reynolds, is facing demands to resign for failing to report that a member of the government came to her with another allegation of rape against an unnamed colleague. Reynolds and Porter are on sick leave, according to Reuters.
- Both events have spurred a calculation and national conversation about the sexual misconduct of Australia’s most powerful politicians.