Despite the pandemic that has been going on for a year and the resulting state of emergency that has kept soldiers and a strong contingent of the police force in the streets, we have once again risen in response to the call for a feminist general strike, and to demonstrate from our lands, our homes, and our public spaces.
Since the morning the street demonstrations began across the country. There were roadblocks, rallies, and gatherings that happened simultaneously throughout the day. Given the context, a lower turnout was expected than previous years. In Santiago alone, around half a million women took to the streets. En the rest of the country some 100 demonstrations were counted. Our presence as the World March of Women-Chile was concentrated in Santiago, Concepción, and Chiloé Unfortunately, towards the end of the demonstrations there were some episodes of severe repression. There were reports of political and sexual violence committed by the police against protesters detained at the march in Santiago, and in Concepción we found reports of protesters being persecuted as soon as the day of mobilization ended. For this reason, on Friday March 12, a call was made by several feminist organizations to take to the streets banging pots and pans to denounce the sexual-political violence that the Chilean police is practicing against us, women and sexual minorities who protest the abuses and oppression of the capitalist, patriarchal, racist, and colonial system. They want us silenced and submissive… but we will keep shouting louder and stronger, and keep marching until each and every one of us is free!!!!!
¡Resistimos para vivir, marchamos para transformar! We resist to live, we march to transform! Nous résistons pour vivre, nous marchons pour transformer ! Resistimos para viver, marchamos para transformar!