Things got pretty heated at the Rhythm And Vines Festival in New Zealand.
The festival, a popular destination for New Yearβs Eve revellers, turned out to be not-so-memorable for Madeline Anello-Kitzmiller.
Caught on camera, the now-viral video shows American-born Auckland-based Madeline walking through a field with her chest covered in glitter, when a man runs behind her and grabs her breast before running off and taking a seat on the grass. Madeline, along with her friend Kiri-Ann Hatfield, are then seen marching up to him and then proceed to throw a drink in his face and punch him repeatedly. Watch the video below:
While there are those in support of Madeline and those who bluntly attacked her choice in attire, though she believes she did the right thing. “I stand by my actions and hope that I’ve inspired women to feel comfortable in their bodies, no matter how they look, and to stick up for themselves when anybody says otherwise or tries to deny you the right to protect your own body,” she told Daily Mail Australia. “He grabbed my breast. I hit him. There was a lot of built up anger coming from harassment throughout the day. This happens everywhere, not just New Zealand.” She went on to add that she and her boyfriend’s sister Katie Ashworth had their chests painted at a stall and were disgusted that people thought their outfits were an invitation for abuse.
Credits: dailymail.co.uk/
Branded as the βfirst place in the world to welcome the first sunrise of the new yearβ, each year 30,000 revellers enjoy a host of musical performances on the Waiohika Estate vineyard, with the event taking place over three days. It’s sad to see that safety continues to be an issue that plagues women at festivals.