14th Feminist Night March: We Expand Our Fight

Click here to read the article in Turkish / Haberin İngilizcesi için buraya tıklayın. 

The 14th Feminist Night March has organized by İstanbul Feminist Collective (İFK) took place yesterday (March 8) on İstiklal street. Thousands of women have attended the march.

İstanbul Governorate had not authorized the march planned to be for March 6 in Kadıköy. The march on İstiklal street on the other hand has been attended by a colorful crowded mass and been enjoyful.

Women have filled İstiklal street upon İFK’s call of “We will give our response to the ones who want to silence women’s rebellion against male domination, harassment, rape and murders with thousands of women gathering in front of Taksim French Culture Center on March 8 at 7 p.m.”.

The march has begun in front of the French Culture Center proceeded towards Tunnel this year.

The police have not intervened the march column yet have warned the press members who have slowed down the march by accumulating in front of the cortege in Galatasaray Square. The 14th Feminist Night March has drawn considerable interest from press members as well; the pad way especially in the part till Galatasaray street which is almost half of the route had been mostly hindered.

The press statement of the 14the Feminist Night March has been read out loud in Tunnel Square at the end of the İstiklal street. The text has been read in Turkish and Kurdish languages.

Tuğçe Canpolat has read the Turkish and Feride Eralp the Kurdish text on behalf of the İstanbul Feminist Collective.

In the press release it has been pointed out that the women had to defend their rights and lives at home, work, school and on the street. The strengthened struggle and solidarity against male managers and male state violence have been pointed out as well as the environment of war the country was being dragged to.

“We feminists declare that we take side with life and lay once again emphasis on the urgency of laying down arms”.

Following topics have been mentioned on the statement:

“We know that the only results of the war and the bombs exploding everywhere in Turkey are violence, death and destructions beyond recover.

“It is obvious that in places where demonstrating the dead bodies of the women murdered is considered victory and the women’s underwear are being exhibited in houses under barricade, the war is feeding on male domination and making it stronger”.  

“We feminists are on the side of social peace”.

“We women and trans persons living in this country remind whoever is responsible that they need to take immediate action for peace before committing more crimes”. (HK/DG)

Photos: Haluk Kalafat