Tens of thousands of people were expected in the streets on Saturday throughout France to denounce the dysfunctions of justice in the fight against gender-based and sexual violence, and in particular to demand a "framework law" against the "impunity" of attackers.

Five years after the emergence of the #MeToo movement, nearly 90 associations, unions or left-wing parties have called for a "tidal wave in the street to shout our anger".



In Paris, several thousand people began to march around 2:30 p.m. from Place de la République to Place de la Nation, noted an AFP journalist.

“We are strong, we are proud and feminist and radical and angry”, chanted protesters, while others shouted “MeToo everywhere, justice nowhere”.

The head banner read: “feminists united against gender-based and sexual violence”.

On placards, uniformly purple, the emblematic color of the gathering, one could read in particular “dominant male, who do you think you are?

“, “stop the culture of rape” or “believing the victims save lives”

Protest to “pay tribute to the victims”

The organizers particularly intended to denounce the fact that in the face of gender-based and sexual violence, which "finds its roots in patriarchy", "the institutions are not up to the task".

“What makes us angry is the impunity of the aggressors and the mistreatment reserved for the victims” when they file a complaint, explains to AFP Maëlle Noir, member of #NousToutes who coordinates the organization of the parades.

"We are demonstrating today to pay tribute to the victims," ​​insisted Sandrine Bouchait, of the National Union of Families of Femicide (UNFF), for whom "feminicide is the top of the pyramid of violence. sexual and sexist" and whose association claims for relatives "a status of victims with psychological and financial support".

More generally, the associations are calling for a public budget of two billion euros per year, but also for a "framework law" which would notably establish "specialized brigades and courts", financial aid for the "security" of women victims. , 15,000 additional dedicated accommodation places or the strengthening of education in sexual and emotional life at school.

Demonstrations in several cities in France

Asked about these demands, the minister responsible for gender equality, Isabelle Rome, recalled on RMC that she was open to the establishment of a specialized police and justice, a subject on which a mission is working. parliamentary.

As for the financial means, "they have not stopped increasing", to reach "a total amount of 2.4 billion" euros, she observed, acknowledging that these sums are "not specifically" dedicated to the fight against violence, but include broader fields, such as education and "economic equality".

In addition to Paris, demonstrations – organized ahead of November 25, the world day for the fight against violence against women – are planned in Marseille, Nice, Toulouse, Lille, Strasbourg, Rennes, Nancy or Dijon, in particular.

The Parisian demonstration had gathered 50,000 people last year according to the organizers (18,000 according to the police).

Exasperation still alive

A year later, the exasperation of feminist organizations is still as strong, fueled by the high number of feminicides - already 100 since the beginning of the year according to an associative collective, against 122 last year according to official figures - , and by the reluctance of the political world to dismiss certain officials accused of violence against women.

The EELV and LFI parties “signed our call to demonstrate.

We are going to ask them today to respect their signature" and to "remove from their parliamentary group men implicated for violence", declared Pauline Baron, of #NousToutes, citing the cases of Adrien Quatennens (LFI) and Julien Bayou (EELV).

The facts denounced are however more and more numerous: between 2017 and 2021, the number of rapes or attempted rapes recorded by the Ministry of the Interior doubled, from 16,900 to 34,300.

Victims are more likely to denounce old facts, explains the ministry, which also sees it as a sign of "freedom of speech".

An expression that now exasperates associations, because "women have always spoken, but they are not listened to", points out Maëlle Noir.

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  • Company

  • Violence against women

  • Sexual violence

  • MeToo

  • Demonstration

  • Paris

  • Ile-de-France

  • Marseilles

  • Paca

  • Nice

  • Toulouse