A Women’s Solidarity March against “inequality, violence and oppression” will be held today at 19:00 on Tbilisi’s Aghmashenebeli Avenue. The march is organized by a group of women’s rights and human rights civil society groups.
The call for a women’s solidarity march comes a few days after a woman who was politically active was violently sexually threatened on social media by a group of men who organized the July 14 ‘Georgian March.’
The protesters are demanding that the people who threaten a woman with gang rape be punished; that a law against sexual harassment be passed; that the government and political parties should openly disassociated themselves from violence and fascism; that the media needs to stop popularizing hate speech and fascist rhetoric and to stop inviting people who are known for violent rhetoric to appear on their shows.
The call for a solidarity march was spread in a Facebook event. The organizers wrote:
“A few days ago, the so-called “Georgian March” was held. Instead of emphasizing social and economic problems in the country, the participants of the said march openly voiced fascist statements. Their xenophobic and racist rants quickly turned into threats of group violence and rape against specific women. Considering the growing rate of femicide in the country over the last several years, any of us could be the next victims of a perpetrator, especially, if the oppressors decide that women have no right to speak up against violence.
- We can not be silenced with threats and hate!
- We will not tolerate oppression and violence!
It is time to wage a war against the oppressor. We have to unite against hate and make sure that in this unequal fight our solidarity and unanimity is decisive.”