Audio from the Vigil for Zena Campbell, held in Civic Square on 20 March 2018. Zena died on the 11 February 2018 in Wellington. A special thank you to Bella Simpson and the Campbell family for allowing us to record this event. Note: some wind noise and distortion happen at points in this recording.
Mayor of Wellington Justin Lester lit up the outside of the Michael Fowler Centre on the night of the vigil with blue, pink and white lights to commemorate Zena, writing on his Facebook page "We're standing side by side, shoulder to shoulder with the pride and trans community." The MFC was also lit up on the following night.
Subsequent to this vigil, a judge dismissed the murder charge against Zena's partner on the day the High Court trial was due to start (12 February 2019). A pathologist said the death was "likely due to methadone and alcohol toxicity, or neck compression or some combination of the two."
Summary
The summary of the recording titled "Vigil for Zena" encompasses the events of a gathering held in Civic Square/Te Ngākau, Wellington on March 20, 2018, to remember Zena Campbell, who passed away on February 11, 2018, in Wellington. The vigil brought together individuals from different walks of life and included speakers Bella Simpson, Brian Dawson, Fleur Fitzsimons, and Jan Logie, along with personal testimonies from those who knew Zena. The recording, although marred by occasional wind noise and distortion, spans 29 minutes and captures the solemn and poignant atmosphere of the occasion.
The audio commences with a notice of the ceremony's start, followed by an opening address from Bella Simpson, who extends thanks to the Campbell family and the Wellington City Council for their support. A moment of silence is observed in Zena Campbell's honor. This is succeeded by statements from attendees including Dawson, Fitzsimons, and Logie. Throughout the vigil, there are calls for remembrance, discussions about the trans and gender diverse community's struggles, and acknowledgments of the violence that led to Zena's end. The vigil serves as an occasion not only for mourning but also for social activism against hate crimes and domestic violence, and a commitment to ensuring safety for the transgender community in Wellington.
Councillor Brian Dawson calls upon the community to reclaim the light lost to violence and pledges not to ignore or forget such incidents. They mention a condolence book available at the council for those wishing to leave messages for Zena. Fleur Fitzsimons, another Wellington City Councillor, expresses their sympathies and underscores the need for safety within the city, particularly for the transgender community. Fitzsimons commends the community's activism and stresses the importance of collective responsibility in fostering a secure environment.
Jan Logie, a parliamentarian, reiterates support for the community, recognizing the collective loss and the role discrimination plays in perpetuating violence. Logie encourages the community to listen, share grief, and commit to positive change while also emphasizing the necessity for mutual support.
The open mic session of the vigil provides a platform for personal reflections, poetry, prayers, and songs, further humanizing the tragedy of Zena Campbell's life cut short. Zena's father, Chris Campbell, offers thanks to the attendees and asserts the unfairness of losing Zena to domestic violence.
To conclude the vigil, attendees engage in song and karakia (a Māori prayer or incantation), using these expressions as a means to cleanse the spirit and as a metaphor for overcoming adversity.
This summary is created using Generative AI. Although it is based on the recording's transcription, it may contain errors or omissions. Click here to learn more about how this summary was created.
Voices
Tags
2010s, activism, aro valley, bella simpson, brian dawson, buddhism, chant, chris campbell, civic square / te ngākau, crime, death, domestic violence, evolve wellington youth service, facebook.com, family, fleur fitzsimons, grief, hate crime, jan logie, jem traylen, justin lester, karakia, kassie hartendorp, kevin haunui, lighting of building exterior, louisa wall, michael fowler centre, moment of silence, remembrance, respite, safety, school, trans, transgender, transphobic violence, tranzform (wellington), tīwhanawhana, vigil, vigil for zena campbell (2018), waiata, wellington city council, wind, youth, zena campbell
Tags (computer generated)
anger, attack, attitude, canada, casting, change, community, council, difference, discrimination, diversity, email, energy, environment, erotica, face, fat, flying, friends, fun, gender, gender diverse, hate, hit, listening, loss, love, mayor, media, morocco, other, pain, passing, people, prayer, reclaim, sad, shame, silence, space, spaces, support, tattoo, time, tokyo, touch, truth, understanding, unicorn, violence, visa, website, wellington, work, youth