Hundreds of Women Protested Topless in Paris: Here’s Why

Why Are Women in Paris Protesting Topless?

‘Femme, Vie, Liberte’ chants echoed outside the Louvre Paris Activists from the international women’s rights group FEMEN organized a powerful protest to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on November 25, 2024. According to News24, videos and photos circulating on Twitter show demonstrators carrying banners with messages such as “Stop the war against women” and “Freedom of life for women” while police watch silently.

The protests were sparked by the horrific case of Gisele Pelicot, who was drugged and raped by her ex-husband Dominique Pelicot and a group of men. The case sparked widespread outrage across France, with calls for the government to take tougher action. Prosecutors sought a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for Dominique Pelicot, who facilitated the abuse of his wife by at least 70 strangers over a decade.

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Who is Dominique Pelicot?

According to the BBC, Dominique Pelicot, the central figure in the French gang rape case involving Gisele Pelicot, admitted in court that he drugged his wife of 50 years into unconsciousness and made it easier for other men to rape her while he recorded the attacks.

The 71-year-old former electrician faces multiple charges, including rape. gangbangand violating privacy by recording and distributing sexually explicit images. Taking the stand, Pélicot confessed his actions, telling the judge, “I am a rapist like everyone else in this room.”

In court, Dominique Pelicot explained that his actions were motivated by his desire to open his marriage to a change of partners, but his wife Gisele Pelicot flatly rejected this suggestion. He admitted that her rejection, combined with the trauma of childhood sexual abuse, fueled his reprehensible behavior.

A psychologist recounted Pelicot’s statement: “My wife and I discussed swinging, but she disagreed, so I medicated her.” Speaking in court, Gisele confirmed the matter was brought up at a nightclub but made it clear she “didn’t want to get involved in it”.

I was with 100 #FEMEN Women in Paris to celebrate International Day Against Violence Against Women #Women and for #WomenLifeFreedom more than 100 #فمن در پاریس بودم برای روز جهانی علیه خشونت علیه #زنان and there is one more reason for this.

Photos by Sara Farid pic.twitter.com/Ijvd3UNUNi

— Maryam Namazie مریم نمازی (@MaryamNamazie) 25 November 2024

Gisele Pelicot, who made a rare choice to hold a public hearing in France after Pelicot’s shocking confession, expressed her pain and said, “It is incredibly difficult to hear these words. For fifty years I lived with a man whom I completely trusted, whom I did not suspect for a moment that he was capable of such actions. “I had full confidence in him,” he said.

As Gisele left the courtroom, she received applause and support from those who gathered in solidarity with her.

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Anne-Cecile Mailfert, president of the Fondation des Femmes, underlined the importance of the case, calling it “a symbol of the worst that male violence can cause.” Speaking to NBC News, he emphasized how the case represents not only one woman’s pain, but also the problem of systemic violence against women.

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Credit: Freepik/ Maryam Namazie Twitter