Dozens of demonstrations were held in France due to gang rape case

They are calling for a “shake-up” and a “comprehensive framework law” from Marseille to Paris. More than 400 organizations and individuals called for a demonstration against violence against women (sexual, physical, psychological and economic) on Saturday, November 23. These actions came on the heels of the shockwave. Extraordinary gang rape case in the south of FranceThe case in which approximately 50 men were accused of raping Gisèle Pelicot while she was unconscious, having been drugged by her husband without her knowledge.

According to the police, 1,500 people in Rennes and nearly a thousand in Lille braved the rain. According to the governor’s office, 1,600 people demonstrated in Bordeaux, and according to the organizers, 3,000 people demonstrated.

At noon, about 800 people in Marseille gathered in the Old Port to condemn sexist and sexual violence, according to the Police Headquarters. Signs waved or placed on the ground by mostly young demonstrators read: “Break the law of silence, shame switches sides,” “No means no” and “Educate your sons.”

Organizers claimed 80,000 people attended in Paris. Among them, Beatriz Beloqui, wearing a purple headdress knitted for the occasion by her mother, arrived at the Gare du Nord station with a dozen activists to voice her “cry of alarm”.

‘It’s not me, it’s not my clothes, it’s not the place’

Beloqui, who has always come to the #NousToutes marches every year since 2019 with the same optimism, hopes that the Pelicot rape case will open the eyes of public authorities and “bring men out of their silence”. “I hope that the condemnations will be proportionate and will be accompanied by a real political awakening,” he said.

Before the departure of the Paris procession, the already sufficiently large crowd dispersed silently. In the center, the performance of the Le Bruit Qui Court group, which started the choreography with applause, was announced. The dancers chanted the slogan “It’s not me, my clothes, or the place to blame.” “You are to blame, the police, the state, society, the entire patriarchy.”

Natacha, 26, came to the show alone, but “with my anger and rage.” The rape case in recent weeks has “increased her anger tenfold.” This middle school teacher, who tried to instill the concept of consent in her students “through simple, everyday actions,” came to show that “we (women) are here, we will always be here, and we are not going away.” to give up.”

Françoise Guichard’s main reason for joining the demonstration was to “scare the Machists”. “The barriers have opened,” the woman said, adding that she was “horrified” by the increase in masculinist comments, especially from the USA, since the election of Donald Trump. The 70-year-old is “afraid of the future,” he said, recalling the echoes of the 1978 rape trial in Aix-en-Provence; This case led to a change in the law to better define rape. He hopes the current case will lead to further progress: “How much more do they (men) need to react?” he asked.

400 organizations

Amandine Cormier of Grève Féministe said at a press conference in Paris on Wednesday that this case, which has an international repercussion, “shows that rape culture, like violence against women, is deeply rooted in society.” “Patriarchal violence happens everywhere: in homes, workplaces, workplaces, on the streets, in transportation, in nursing homes.”

The mobilization call was made by more than 400 organizations (including Fondation des Femmes, Planning Familial and #NousToutes) and public figures (Angele, Judith Godrèche and Vanessa Springora). Labor unions were also there.

“Successive governments have stepped up promises, but the means are cynical and dwindling. Political action is almost non-existent,” the signatories said. In November 2017, President Emmanuel Macron made equality between men and women the “important cause” of his time and designated the fight for the “complete elimination of violence against women” as the “first pillar”.

Groups call for annual budget of €2.6 billion

In addition to the 39-19 emergency phone number for women victims of violence and those around them, the “Serious Danger Phone” system and bracelets against aggression were established. These measures are welcomed by women’s rights associations, but they are still considered inadequate and the president is called on to change his stance.

He reminded the President’s support for the actor Gérard Depardieu accused of sexual assault#NousToutes member Yéléna Mandengué called for a “shake-up” on Saturday and issued a statement regarding the Sénat’s passage of a bill against gender transitions among minors. “We are all concerned about gender violence,” Mandengué said.

“We are very concerned about the finances of the associations today, offices are being closed,” Sarah Durocher, president of Family Planning, said at the same press conference on Wednesday.

The groups are demanding a total annual budget of €2.6 billion and a “holistic framework law” to replace current legislation, which they see as “fragmented and incomplete”.

Osez le Féminisme during the Paris march! “We have prepared a list of 140 suggestions to combat violence against women,” said Elsa Labouret, spokesperson of the association. Labouret lamented a lack of “political will” on the issue. Alongside him, activist Céline Piques also condemned the government’s “promotional announcements” ahead of November 25, but “things are not changing behind the scenes.” “It’s all smoke and mirrors,” he said, explaining that the long-term demands made by the associations for years were not taken into account.

Salima Saa, France’s junior minister responsible for equality between men and women, promised “concrete and effective measures” for November 25. These measures will aim, among other things, to “improve social assistance measures” for victims, especially in rural areas, he said, adding that the “reception and care of victims” should be strengthened through “training for front-line players”.