From the rowdy reverberation of motorcyles to the sombre silence of a wordless march, crowds gathered around the country yesterday to call for an end to domestic violence.
White Ribbon Day events were as varied as they were widespread.
The first White Ribbon Campaign was launched in 1991 by a group of men in Canada after the brutal mass shooting of 14 female students at the University of Montreal.
In 1999 the United Nations officially recognised 25 November 25 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
The White Ribbon campaign in New Zealand is a combination of both.
At the top of the country in Kaitaia, 1500 white ribbons were planted in the lawn of Hope Christian Centre on Commerce St.
Last year, the lawn was transformed into a sea of 1000 white ribbons but this year the church has had and extra 500 made. Pastor Howard Cross said the initiative was receiving a more positive response this year.
He said planting a ribbon would in itself not halt the domestic violence in the Far North, but it was a positive symbolic gesture and a way of speaking out.
"Hopefully this will encourage people who have been silent to speak up."
Kaitaia-based Te Tai Tokerau MP Kelvin Davis, who made eliminating sexual and domestic violence one of his priorities when elected in 2014, took part in a White Ribbon march in Hastings yesterday. Men had to stand up and take control of the issue, he said.
At the top of the country in Kaitaia, 1500 white ribbons were planted in the lawn of Hope Christian Centre. Photo / Peter de Graaf
"Women have been carrying this burden for way too long. Coming up to Christmas, the best gift we can give our children is to love their mothers," he said.
In Auckland, White Ribbon marchers walked up Queen St to Myers Park for a rally.
At Tauranga on Tuesday, 25 White Ribbon riders motored into the Papamoa Plaza to cheers from a crowd of about 50 people. Chief victims advisor to the Government Dr Kim McGregor said it was important that men continued to campaign against violence against women.
In Rotorua, the head of police challenged teenage boys to "champion" the White Ribbon philosophy -- saying it is one of the greatest legacies they can leave for their whanau and wider community.
Area commander Superintendent Bruce Horne singled out three teenage boys at yesterday's White Ribbon Day event in the city, saying young adults needed to be at the centre of changing attitudes towards domestic violence.
Rotorua Boys' High School student Te Maiora Rurehe said it was up to the younger generation -- particularly young Maori men -- to change things.
"We, the younger generation, have been entrusted with the power to change those statistics."
The ceremony at Rotorua Hospital also featured White Ribbon riders who each November take part in a week-long tour.
Lakes District Health Board chief executive Ron Dunham described family violence as an "insidious, destructive" part of the community.
In Whakatane, the serious message was delivered among some fun events, with The Keystone Cops awarded this year's Emily Longley Trophy.
Held as part of the White Ribbon riders' annual visit to Mitchell Park in Whakatane, the trophy goes to the best power-pulling team on the day.
The trophy is a memorial for former eastern Bay teenager Emily Longley, who was 17 when Elliott Turner murdered her in his parent's Bournemouth home in England. After a number of heats at Monday's White Ribbon Day, the cops left no doubt they were deserving of the trophy, pulling the white ribbon over the line in the first two pulls.
As well as power-pulling action, an impressive line-up of bikes and trikes, informative stalls, free sausages, a bouncy castle and puzzles kept the crowds entertained.
In Hastings, people marched through town in silence yesterday, taking a stand against violence toward women. The march was in conjunction with White Ribbon events throughout the country highlighting the issue of domestic violence.
Louise Nicholas, who believes domestic violence is a community problem, attended the march as a special guest speaker.
The national sexual violence survivor advocate, who wrote a book detailing her history of sexual abuse, said it was not just about women and children but about everyone affected by violence and crime.
Image 1 of 14: White Ribbon March up Wanganui's Victoria Ave. Wednesday, November 25, 2015 Wanganui Chronicle photograph by Bevan Conley.
In Wanganui, White Ribbon riders stopped in at Upokongaro School to give children rides around the back paddock before meeting up with out-of-town riders and heading in to Majestic Square for the main White Ribbon march. The schoolchildren were excited to ride pillion on Triumph, Harley-Davidson and Ducati motorbikes.
All said it was their first ride on a motorbike -- and all of them were keen for another go, especially Tremaine Lemalie who said: "I'm gonna get me one of those when I grow up."
Other North Island riders arrived from Ohakune and it was time for a haka before the kids boarded the bus to join the march in Victoria Ave.
Wellington White Ribbon rider Dempsey Broad said he had enjoyed spreading the anti-violence message. "We had a go at gumboot throwing in Taihape and challenged the mayor to a contest with a bet of $50."
Rangitikei mayor Andy Watson lost the contest and had to donate the money to the White Ribbon appeal.
In Wairarapa, men in high heels helped lead a Walk a Mile in her Shoes anti-violence march down the main drag of Masterton yesterday to cele-brate White Ribbon Day.
About a hundred men and women set out from a muster point near St Luke's Church in Queen St and made their way to the Masterton town square where guest speakers addressed the marchers and supporters.
Included in the procession were Wairarapa MP Alastair Scott in open-toe cork platforms and Stopping Violence Services Wairarapa manager and White Ribbon Ambassador Jeremy Logan, who fell only once during the march in a pair of red high heels.
Men and women police officers also turned out for the event alongside firefighters in full emergency kit, including Murray Pike who fashioned his own high-visibility pink high heels from fire safety boots and blocks of wood.
Marchers were met at the square by a half dozen Wairarapa policemen in a White Ribbon Day cycle team which had completed a 100-kilometre trip through each of the Wairarapa towns from Masterton through Martinborough, Featherston, Greytown and Carterton.
Speakers addressed the crowd of marchers and supporters at the town square and the day's events in the region ended in Featherston with a picnic.
White Ribbon riders have also traversed the South Island this week, beginning in Nelson and riding down the West Coast and through Central Otago, gathering more riders along the way.
It made its way through the Clutha district on Monday and Clutha Mayor Bryan Cadogan joined it at Owaka for a visit to The Catlins Area School.
The rides were in Oamaru on Tuesday, continuing back up the east coast of the South Island yesterday.
Reporting from the Northland Age, Northern Advocate, Bay of Plenty Times, Rotorua Daily Post, Whakatane News, Hawke's Bay Today, Wanganui Chronicle, Wairarapa Times-Age and the Otago Daily Times.
