Shocked that a woman was attacked in an area where she frequently walks herself, Launceston woman Michelle O'Byrne has vowed to reclaim Cataract Gorge for the community.
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After reading about the 30-year-old woman who was put in a headlock by a blonde man on Sunday afternoon while walking on the Reedy Gully Track, Ms O'Byrne called on friends to join her in a walk along the track to Duck Reach Power Station this Sunday afternoon.
"I've been overwhelmed by the support," she said.
The idea "bubbled away" and turned into an event: #ReclaimtheDuck walk.
"It taps into that anger you feel when some place you've felt safe is taken away from you," Ms O'Byrne said.
"It's really important to reclaim that safety and say 'you don't get to take that away from us'. The Gorge is such a well-loved space."
It is important for those who love walking in Cataract Gorge, and the wider Trevallyn Reserve, to understand "someone chose to be violent, which impacted the woman he attacked, but also the other women who walk in the space", she said.
Ms O'Byrne visited Cataract Gorge on Wednesday morning and spoke with The Basin Cafe owner, who offered to stay open on Sunday beyond the usual 4pm closing time so #ReclaimtheDuck walkers could enjoy a coffee together afterwards.
"It's really lovely that he will stay open," she said.
Fast Facts
- What: #ReclaimtheDuck walk
- Where: The Basin, Cataract Gorge, West Launceston
- When: Meet at 3.45pm for 4pm walk, Sunday, April 7.