This past weekend, on November 23, I was one of over 2,000 people in Strasbourg to participate in the March Against Violence Against Women. The demand was straightforward: to see concrete measures put forth by the government in response to the danger and violence that stalk women all over France. In other cities throughout the country, women and other supporters took to the streets to protest femicide, or the killing of females because they are female.

So, what instigated these protests?

In early September, President Emmanuel Macron secretly listened in on a conversation between a woman and a police officer. She’d called the police to report that her husband was threatening to kill her. Already at the police station and prepared to leave the relationship, she simply wanted a police escort back to her home so she could safely collect her belongings and leave.

What one might have expected to be a routine demonstration of support for domestic violence victims instead revealed an insidious, systematic problem with the way police respond to these calls. The officer on the line informed the woman that he was legally unable to help her. (If this sounds like a blatant, absurd lie, that’s because it was.)

Even after being directly instructed by the domestic hotline operator to help the woman, the policeman continued to refuse. After the operator hung up, Macron asked her if this sort of thing was a regular occurrence. She confirmed that it is. 

When the story broke, outcry over the brazen lies of the police officer and his callousness was immediate, with swift backlash not far behind.

In less than three months, 30 marches were organized throughout France in a coordinated effort of more than 70 organizations. Additionally, the statistics that came in the aftermath of the report only galvanized supporters. In short, the reports indicated that, in 2019, a woman is killed every two days due to domestic violence in France.

As news of the event and the push back rippled around the world, sister marches were also organized internationally to mark November 25, International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. According to the UN, over 87,000 girls and women are killed every year, and over half of these murders are committed by a spouse, partner, or family member.

Below are some photos taken during the 2.5-hour march.

The meeting point was Parc de l’Etoile, just next to the bus station.
“Stop toxic masculinity.”
Spanish-speakers marching to end violence against women in their own countries were identifiable by the green bandana. The sign on the right reads: “Not one woman less.” This expression came out of a feminist movement in Argentina and quickly spread to other Latin American countries. The sign on the right depicts a woman with the signature bandana, used to bring awareness for women’s need to mask their gender identity for fear of sexual violence. (Roughly, the second sign translates to: “In Chile the police still keep their distance.”)
“Freedom, equality, sisterhood.” This directly challenges the national slogan of France, which is officially (and problematically): “Freedom, equality, brotherhood.”
Two younger women join hands at the beginning of the march.
Winding around the statue of “The Young Girl on the Turtle” on Place d’Austerlitz.
“The death of women everywhere, justice nowhere.”
“Resist! Prove that you exist!”

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