In photos: Thousands rally in Australia as sexual misconduct claims cloud government

Thousands of protesters rallied across Australia on Monday against the sexual abuse and harassment of women — driven by allegations centered on Australia's Parliament, per the Guardian.

Why it matters: Many are angry at Prime Minister Scott Morrison's government, after Attorney General Christian Porter was accused of raping a 16-year-old girl when he was a teenager in 1988, Reuters notes.

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• The 43 protests planned across the country are likely to heap more pressure on Morrison — who has refused to consider an investigation into Porter, after police closed theirs citing a lack of information. Porter has denied the allegation and said he will not step down.

Morrison's Defense Minister Linda Reynolds is facing calls to resign for failing to report that a government staffer came to her with another allegation of rape against an unnamed colleague.

• Reynolds and Porter are both on sick leave, per Reuters.
• The two developments have spurred a reckoning and national conversation on the sexual misconduct of Australia's most powerful politicians.

For the record: Mass gatherings are able to take place in Australia as it has largely contained COVID-19 cases to quarantine hotels, where travelers newly arrived in the country stay before entering the wider community.

• There were no community infections reported in Australia Monday, despite a Sydney quarantine hotel security guard testing positive for the virus Saturday — ending the city's 55-day run of zero local cases.

In photos: Thousands rally for justice for women

People attend a protest against sexual violence and gender inequality in Victoria's state capital, Melbourne. Photo: William West/AFP via Getty Images

Protesters in King George Square in Queensland's state capital, Brisbane. Photo: Jono Searle/Getty Images

Protesters attend a demonstration in the New South Wales state capitol, Sydney. Photo: Steven Saphore/AFP via Getty Images

Protesters march in Brisbane. Photo: Jono Searle/Getty Images

Protesters in Sydney. Photo: Steven SaphoreAFP via Getty Images

A protester in Canberra wearing a mask of Morrison. Photo: Jamila Toderas/Getty Images

The signs said it today in Adelaide - raw, witty, emotional and fierce @march4justiceau #March4Justice #EnoughisEnougth #Equality #HearUsRoar #EndViolenceAgainstWomen #WomenSupportingWomen pic.twitter.com/R8zUgYyqaq

— Kara Jung (@karajung) March 15, 2021

A genuinely inspiring turnout to the #march4justice in Hobart today. Fantastic speakers - appropriately capped off by a fired-up Australian of the Year Grace Tame - and a commitment from attendees to not let the issue of the structural inequalities faced by women rest. pic.twitter.com/Ph5W44NN3y

— Kris McCracken (@Kris_McCracken) March 15, 2021

Hundreds of people have gathered at Raintree Park in the Darwin CBD for the #March4Justice rally.@TheNTNews pic.twitter.com/xGmdd4hyoG

— Judith Aisthorpe (@JudithAisthorpe) March 15, 2021

#march4justice thread in Melbourne.

This is a list of names of all the women in Australia killed from gendered violence since 2008. 👇 pic.twitter.com/CgcJcqsB8t

— Antoun Issa (@antissa) March 15, 2021

Editor's note: This article has been updated with details from the protests and more photos.