Thousands protested across France after Gisele Pelicot’s gang rape trial triggered the country

While the case of a 71-year-old woman who was raped by approximately 50 men for years became the center of attention this year, thousands of people took to the streets against violence against women in major cities of France.

The gang rape trial in France entered its final phase this week. Next week, prosecutors will ask the court in the southern city of Avignon to sentence 51 men, including the man who drugged his wife for more than a decade and dozens of others who accepted invitations to abuse his wife in their home.

“The more of us there are, the more visible we are, this is an issue for everyone, not just women,” said Peggy Plou, a local elected official from the Indre-et-Loire region of western France who was on a trip to Paris. He said it during the protest.

Thousands of people, mostly women, but also men and children, marched in Paris.

Hundreds of strong demonstrations were also held in France’s other major cities, including Marseille in the south, Lille in the northeast and Rennes in the northwest.

Many of the protesters were seen carrying signs bearing the slogan “Shame must switch sides,” popularized by Avignon trial plaintiff Gisele Pelicot.

The horror of gang rape in France transformed Gisèle into a feminist icon; Gisèle refused to keep the case secret and went public to raise awareness.

According to AFP, retired nurse Marie-Claire Abiker, who was marching in Paris, said, “A law on consent needs to be enacted very quickly. Just because someone doesn’t say anything doesn’t mean they accept sexual intercourse.”

Watch | France: Gisele Pelicot Told Her Sad Story in Court

Amy Bah, a member of the NousToutes (all women) feminist group protesting in Lille, said that in 2018, basically only women were demonstrating. But today it’s 30 percent men, and that’s great news.

“I feel like this is my job too, each of us has a role to play, especially men,” said Arnaud Garcette at the Marseille demonstration where he walked with his two children.

“We are at the source of the problem, and we are at the source of the solutions,” he added.

(With input from institutions)