New Zealanders are mourning the death of British backpacker Grace Millane by posting images of the sky to Twitter along with the hashtag #HerLightOurLove.
A body believed to be Millane’s was found in dense bushland in western Auckland on Sunday and a 26-year-old man has been charged with her murder.
Her death has prompted an outpouring of sadness in New Zealand, which is usually regarded as a safe place to travel and averages less than 50 murders a year in a population of 4.8 million.
On Monday, the hashtag #HerLightOurLove was trending at number one on Twitter, followed by #GraceMillane at number two.
#HerLightOurLove #GraceMillane i’m so sorry new zealand failed you - you deserved so much better. arohanui to all those that knew Grace. to Grace’s family and loved ones; kia kaha, kia maia, kia manawanui. much love from new zealand. pic.twitter.com/yBSnnIOToz
— kayla (@whyskaylaangry) December 9, 2018
Millane’s death has affected New Zealanders country-wide, from tiny rural communities in the South Island to the Auckland central business district where she disappeared.
New Zealanders from the North and South Islands have offered tributes, from a woman who photographed her green paddock in Paeroa and said she wished Millane had seen “the real New Zealand”, to a snap of the harbour at sunset in Whangarei, and a yacht with the moon dipping in the Pacific ocean.
Many Kiwis offered Māori words of condolence, including offering aroha (love) to the grieving family, kia kaha (stay strong) and aroha nui (big love) and said they were sorry that “we couldn’t protect you”.
#HerLightOurLove 🙏🏼 Whangarei pic.twitter.com/rYLzaHpyDA
— soju shots 🦆 (@soju_shots) December 10, 2018
A large, handmade sign was erected on a roundabout in the suburb where Millane’s body was found, and Kiwis expressed a deep sense of sorrow that the young woman had come to harm in their country, with many saying they felt a sense of shame that the young traveller had not been properly looked after.
Grace, as I drove home through my city, it felt alien to me. Your young life and your light should have been nurtured in our city on your OE. We have not looked after you. I am so sorry. #HerLightOurLove pic.twitter.com/iFjm9A2fMZ
— SueS (@SueSurjupersad) December 10, 2018
Truck drivers around the country are driving with their headlights on in honor of Millane, and have also painted black crosses on the front of their trucks.
The prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, described New Zealanders as “heartbroken” about the death, and was visibly emotional at her weekly press conference.
Candlelight vigils are planned in the major New Zealand cities on Wednesday, and Sky City in central Auckland, the country’s most famous building, will change its lights to white until Wednesday. Millane was pictured at Sky City with her alleged killer on the night of her disappearance.
