Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

“I don’t feel comfortable keeping quiet this time”

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I was walking my dog in the park, just the usual timing, usual route. However, because there was ongoing construction nearby, it meant that there would be a lot of foreign workers there. (My country hires lots of foreign workers to construct buildings and stuff.) So anyways, I was turning back, ready to go home when suddenly a huge group of foreign workers appeared and started walking towards me. I had lots of bad experiences involving them before, but this time was different as they were in a huge group. Like 20 people. So I tried pretending to text and stuff. When they came nearer and nearer, I got more and more uncomfortable and afraid.

One of them dashed to the front of the group and started whistling loudly while the others just laughed behind. I continued walking. Unfortunately, my attempts of trying to ignore them were in vain as I still heard them speaking in their language and laughing as they walked past me. I didn’t look at them as I was really afraid they might do something to me. After they walked past, I felt really, really upset and disgusted. The feeling I felt made me sad, boil with rage, disgusted and suicidal even, all at the same time. I was on the verge of tears.

On my way back home, I was so angry I couldn’t help but plot revenge on them. Of course, I knew deep down I couldn’t do anything to stop them. I could only wait for the construction to be finished so they would leave the area. This wasn’t my first time getting cat-called. But I don’t feel comfortable keeping quiet this time. I am sitting on my balcony typing this when the feeling is still fresh. I really hope no one has to experience this heart-crushing feeling.

– E

Location: A park in Singapore

Need support? Call the toll-free National Street Harassment hotline: 855-897-5910

Share your street harassment story for the blog.
See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for ideas.

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“He is not free to harass, intimidate, and spit on other women”

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This creep followed me as I was exiting the subway and tried to block me while using words that even I don’t say….so when he went up the stairs I took the elevator. I got to street level and he blocked the elevator and wouldn’t let me out, wouldn’t let the doors close, so I took his picture. He tried to get in with me and I managed to run out under his arm (thank goodness I am short!) and ran for subway steps. He followed, and spit on me (good aim unfortunately). He followed me to CVS, and them ambled away to harass the next woman. The entire time, of course, he was laughing, cursing, harassing, and I was trying to just get away from him. The rest of the pedestrians just stood by watching even though I asked them to call the police a few times. I got the police to come a few minutes later and they said the could and would do NOTHING. He is not free to harass, intimidate, and spit on other women.

– JD

Location: 14th and 8th Ave. in Manhattan

Need support? Call the toll-free National Street Harassment hotline: 855-897-5910

Share your street harassment story for the blog.
See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for ideas.

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Italy: It’s Not a Criminal Offense to Publicly Masturbate

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Hearing about so many incidents of groping and verbal street harassment (before I even knew the term) in Italy made me change my mind about studying abroad there as a college student. If you dislike street harassment, now there’s even more reason to want to avoid going there.

Italy’s supreme court justices ruled that unless it’s done in front of a minor, public masturbation is perfectly legal — even if it is done with the clear aim of being seen by other members of the public without their permission or consent! The silver lining is it sounds like there still may be a fine for the act.

Still, since I have yet to hear about a woman publicly masturbating non-consensually at a person in a public place, I think it’s safe to say this is a good example of how laws usually benefit those in power: men.

This also reminds me of the Italian court ruling on a rape case 17 years ago. They came up with the ”denim defense” or the ”jeans alibi,” suggesting that a woman cannot be raped if she was wearing jeans because “they are impossible to remove unless she helps.”

Come on Italy, do better.

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Three Examples of Scary Street Harassment Escalation

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Street harassment can escalate without warning. That’s what makes it so scary. These three stories from this past week alone clearly illustrate this:

tiarah-poyau-2016Via For Harriet:

“22-year-old Tiarah Poyau was fatally shot at the J’ouvert festival in Brooklyn over the weekend. NYPD said the fatal altercation occurred after Poyau asked a man to stop grinding on her, according to the New York Post.

She was walking down the street with three friends during the pre-West Indian Day celebration when she told the man who invaded her space “get off me.”

Poyau was shot in the eye at close range.

20-year-old Reginald Moise was apprehended. He has five prior arrests. Police say they found the gun used in the shooting at Moise’s girlfriend’s apartment.

Moise was charged with second-degree murder, criminal possession of a weapon and reckless endangerment.”

 

Via Thailand’s National Newspaper:

“A 23-year-old American tourist suffers spinal injuries falling down a ravine in Krabi while she was fleeing from an alleged sexual assault late Thursday night….

According to the Phuket Gazette, the man who attempted to molest her, identified as Apai Ruangwong, has been charged with committing obscene behaviour toward another person and causing serious injury.

‘He said that he had known the victim for a day. He volunteered to walk her to her place, but couldn’t stop himself from touching her inappropriately.

‘The victim was frightened and ran away to escape him,’ Piyapong Boonkaew, superintendent of Ao Nang Police Station, told the Phuket Gazette.

Apai called rescue workers for his victim, who fell off the high cliff, the officer said.

It was only on Friday that rescue workers could reach her.”

 

Via City Living Seattle:

“Police arrested a 31-year-old man Sunday after he approached a woman as she was working in her yard, told her he wanted to have sex with her, and then returned hours later and broke into her home as she was showering.

The victim told police the suspect approached around 3 PM her as she was working in her garden near the 5100 block of 12th Avenue Northeast and informed her he wanted to have sex.

The woman immediately left her yard and went inside her home.

Hours later, around 7 PM, the woman was taking a shower when she heard someone trying to get into the bathroom.

The woman thought it might be one of her roommates and opened the door, only to find the suspect standing inside her home.

The woman began screaming for help, and one of her roommates grabbed the suspect and shoved him out the door of the home.

Officers arrived on scene minutes later and arrested the suspect in a nearby alley.”

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“It made me very angry that such idiots are walking around and harassing women”

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While I was working, my fiancée was on her way to the local parcel shop. At the bus stop an idiot harassed her from across the street. He shouted things like sexy etc. at her. She became very upset about the harassment and texted me. I could calm her down but later in the day when she was shopping another guy harassed her on the street! When I came home, she was very sad and felt insecure due to what happened. It made me very angry that such idiots are walking around and harassing women.

My fiancée did not want to post her experiences so I did it for her to show the world what scum is out there even in Islington, a district I love so much.

Optional: What’s one way you think we can make public places safer for everyone?

Harder laws against harassment. A strong shift in society to tackle sexism and pornography.

– Martin

Location: Holloway, Islington, London, UK

Need support? Call the toll-free National Street Harassment hotline: 855-897-5910

Share your street harassment story for the blog.
See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for ideas.

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