On Sunday, March 8, the long-awaited march for International Women’s Day was held in Santiago. Organizations involved estimate that at least one million women participated in the march. Chile Today’s Alisha Lubben was present.
“The streets of Santiago were electric with the voices of over one million women today. Along the metro ride to Santa Lucia, cheers and chants permeated into the stations and grew louder and more enthusiastic with each stop. Exiting the metro station, reaching the march was nearly impossible as even side streets and alleyways were brimming with women and children. Demonstrators clad in body paint and green bandanas brandished flags and carried banners that displayed messages regarding gender inequality, domestic violence, legal abortion, and anticipation of better opportunities for future generations. At the front of the line, marchers clashed with police barriers, water cannons, and tear gas. A sign of unity and the true nurturing nature of women, onlookers rushed to the aid of those who had been tear-gassed with water, lemons, and tissue paper. The fight for human rights and equality marches on in Chile, with women at the forefront of the resistance”, – Alisha Lubben, Chile Today News |