Events Archives | Page 17 of 31 | Stop Street Harassment

Our Streets, Too! Post-DC Rally Wrap-Up

June 27, 2011 By HKearl

Note: Stop Street Harassment helped organize an Our Streets, Too, march and rally against street harassment in Washington, DC. Holla Back DC! was another co-organizer and this is their wrap-up of the events. The photos are courtesy of my partner.

Cross-posted from Holla Back DC!

What we love about DC is that it can be so unpredictable!! With only two weeks of preparation, and all the organizers organizing via email, we were scared if anyone would show up. The rally, Our Streets, Too! A Big Queer/Feminist/Allies Street Fest, started off at SunTrust plaza on 18th and Columbia. We never realized, until yesterday, under the blazing sun, how there really aren’t many places in DC to gather that aren’t related to parks (which, let’s be real, are mostly dog parks). People started making signs, assisting with the incredible banner, and sharing their stories of harassment.

Then at 2P, Batala started playing. If you haven’t heard them, man, you are missing out on an amazing group of sisters who can really rock a drum. Everyone was dancing and enjoying themselves, while more people started gathering.

Curious onlookers asked, “What is this about? Why are people gathering?” And, fliers went out to them with volunteers talking about street harassment in DC towards women and LGBTQ individuals. Watching and listening to some of these bystanders say, “Yeah, harassment does happen and it really shouldn’t,” made the rally planning and stress worth it.

Around 2:30, the march started down 18th Street. A la Rob Lowe on Parks and Recreation, we literally stopped traffic, as the march took over the streets. It was amazing. MPD stopped the protest a few times, but, no one was arrested and they didn’t give us much push back.

We made a left on U Street and marched up 16th Street towards Malcolm X park. While at Malcolm X park, we had our workshop leaders, Holly from Stop Street Harassment and Board member of Holla Back DC! and Dienna, an activist, talk about ways to address street harassment and share in the collective activism around this issue.

While they were skills sharing with a group of 20 to 25, others were mingling and talking about DC social justice activism, when a Park Police officer came over and told us to cut off the amplified music and asked if we were protesting. We told him that we weren’t, as our protest was done, and we were conducting workshops. H

e then walked up a set of stairs towards a group of people who were placing the anti-harassment banner on an over hang. He told them to take it down, and when all individuals left, he followed the two women and started yelling at them to take down the banner. He then proceeded to ask for their IDs, which they gave over, and detained them without telling them what they did wrong.

Because of the Park Police officer’s lack of knowledge around criminal law or lack of wanting to share why he was detaining these women, many rally goers started to get involved and ask the officer what these two women did wrong, since the banner was taken down. He said, “I had to ask them twice.” The officer proceeded to call in his unit, which included five other officers (including the captain/chief, and special ops). It was a sight for sore eyes and a lawyer’s dream.After that 30 minutes of that intense drama, the two women were not papered or arrested. It was all for show. And the irony is that many of our issues around street harassment come from people who abuse their authority. The two women remained calm through out the process, which was just amazing.

Lauren, from Defend Yourself, did a wonderful workshop which concluded the protest and rally. Seeing so many people gather in support of raising awareness on street harassment, stopping traffic, and getting some skills on how to address the harassment was a great way to start the summer.

Many thanks to the supporters and friends of Holla Back DC! who came out to the rally!

If you were at the rally or wanted to be, and feel inspired to get more involved in this issue, please fill out this volunteer form and we’ll get back to you!

Street Harassment Snapshot – June 26, 2011

June 26, 2011 By HKearl

*** TODAY at 2 p.m., activists in Washington, DC, will be marching to remind people that these are Our Streets, Too, and street harassment should end! ***

Read stories, news articles, blog posts, and tweets about street harassment from the past week and find relevant announcements and upcoming street harassment events.

Street Harassment Stories:

I accept street harassment submissions from anywhere in the world. Share your story! You can read new street harassment stories on the Web from the past week at:

Stop Street Harassment Blog

Street Harassment in the News, on the Blogs:

*Women’s E-News, “Time to Count Street Harassment as Hostile Acts“

* Bitch Media, “Takin’ it to the Streets: She Ain’t Me (The Problem of Self-Esteem)”

* Philadelphia Weekly, “Women Take a Stand Against Street Harassment“

* Mumbai Boss, “Holla To Be Heard“

* Daily News & Analysis India, “Eve-teasing could now land you in jail“

*Ahram Online, “International blogging day against sexual harassment ignites in Egypt“

* Christian Science Monitor, “Egyptians fight sexual harassment with June 20 Twitter campaign“

* Percolate Magazine, “Guest Blog: Street Harassment – Why Clothing Doesn’t Matter“

* Sian and Crooked Rib, “I am a hollaback girl“

* The Times of India, “Chennai: Std 10 girl harassed by four youths“

* BBC, “Guatemala estrena sus buses “sólo para mujeres”“

* Americas Quarterly, “Guatemala Debuts ‘Women Only’ Buses“

* Ahram Online, “‘Speak up!’ blogging on sexual harassment in Egypt just a start“

* Bikyamasr, “One reader’s stories of sexual harassment in Egypt“

* Pacific Free Press, “SlutWalk in Honduras“

* Christian Science Monitor, “Egyptian men explain their relentless catcalls“

* Press TV, “Egyptians tweet to end sexual harassment“

Announcements:

New:

* The UN launches a “Safe and Friendly Cities for All” campaign

Reminders/On-Going:

* There’s a new anti-street harassment group in Sri Lanka

*Learn about and help fund Hollaback’s bystander campaign, “I’ve Got Your Back“

* Sign Mend the Gap’s petition to address subway harassment in Delhi, India

* College students, enter the Hollaback essay contest, entries due August 1.

* Are you in Egypt? Use HarassMap to report your street harassers

* Have an iPhone? Download the Hollaback iPhone app that lets you report street harassers

10 Tweets from the Week:

1. CatCall “Ooh baby! I like that. So sexy.” Ave C Thanks. Now I feel gross.

2. RogueDancer Spend the day dancing and fighting #streetharassment at the #thewindowsexproject community workshop

3. PoshBirdGabi @Kiryatraber – I’ve stopped speaking 2 Men I don’t know unless it’s absolutely necessary & unavoidable. #StreetHarassment #VAW #WarOnWomen

4. Kiryatraber Like most women I’ve become hardened to street harassment. I’m generally dismissive or rude to men who approach me… #mysogyny

5. ashcampaign is en route to a meeting with a big production company who want to do a documentary on street harassment!

6. lilyorit Dear Creepy Men: Coming onto me just because my hair is fuchsia? Not cool. Being creepy about it? SO not cool. #streetharassment #notokay

7. FeistyFeminist1 My name is NOT baby! UGH. Screw you, old man in the car. I’m not gonna let you ruin my good day. #streetharassment

8. WriteAboutIt It’s the #firstdayofsummer, which must be why I got pssted at and cursed out by some ahole in Herald Sq this morning. #streetharassment

9. NadiaE Sexual harassment in #Egypt won’t stop until society as a whole rejects it #endSH

10. maggie87h I am grateful for men in the street, usually older, who intervene when they see harassment. More of them are needed #endSh

Street Harassment Snapshot: June 20, 2011

June 20, 2011 By HKearl

(Sorry – a day late this week!) Read stories, news articles, blog posts, and tweets about street harassment from the past week and find relevant announcements and upcoming street harassment events.

Street Harassment Stories:

I accept street harassment submissions from anywhere in the world. Share your story! You can read new street harassment stories on the Web from the past week at:

Stop Street Harassment Blog

Hollaback

Hollaback Baltimore

Hollaback Buenos Aires

Street Harassment in the News, on the Blogs:

Mideast Youth, “Sexual Harassment in Egypt (Part I: The Bad and the Ugly)“

Mideast Youth, “Sexual Harassment in Egypt (Part II: The Good News)“

Essence, “Sound-Off: The Heat Brings Waves of Sexual Harassment“

Alternet, “Eight Ways Men and Boys Are Helping to End Gender-Based Violence“

Ivy Says, “An Hour In A Lebanese Woman’s Heels“

Clutch Magazine, “Summertime Street Harassment, How Do You Handle It?“

Stop Street Harassment, “Dear Prudence, Street Harassment is Not Okay“

Jezebel, “Will You Miss Catcalls When You’re Old?“

Bitch Magazine Blog, “Takin’ it to the Streets: Class-ifying Street Harassment“

Service Women’s Action Network, “Hey Baby, Let Me See a Smile!“

Newsworks, “‘Hollaback’ strikes back at harassment”

The Sydney Morning Herald, “Egypt embarks on a sexual revolution“

Al Masry Al Youm, “The Sexual Harassment File: Can culture be blamed?“

Bikyamasr, “Another face in the crowd: Sexual harassment in Egypt“

The Telegraph, “One-stop solution for every gripe – Call centre with GIS to make debut, tender floated“

ABC News, “Feature film tackles sexual harassment in Egypt“

Announcements:

New:

* Activists in Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and Sudan led a day against sexual harassment through blogging and tweeting (with the hashtag #EndSH) on June 20 (and part of June 19 for those of us in the USA)

* On June 26, 2 p.m., activists in Washington, DC, will be marching to remind people that these are Our Streets, Too, and street harassment should end!

* There’s a new anti-street harassment group in Sri Lanka

Reminders/On-Going:

* The Window Sex Project is June 25, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. and it’s a FREE street harassment event for Harlem women ages 18-35.

*Learn about and help fund Hollaback’s bystander campaign, “I’ve Got Your Back“

* Sign Mend the Gap’s petition to address subway harassment in Delhi, India

* Help fund the Hey, Shorty! on the road book tour to end gender-based violence in schools and on the streets.

* College students, enter the Hollaback essay contest, entries due August 1.

* Are you in Egypt? Use HarassMap to report your street harassers

* Have an iPhone? Download the Hollaback iPhone app that lets you report street harassers

15 Tweets from the Week:

1. ohbendorf I’m sick and tired– of the street harassment experienced by women, trans and queer folks, and POC.

2. shani_o Love capping off my day with a healthy dose of street harassment

3. galuk1 @Cristalzheat Street harassment sucks. Any man who thinks they have a right to comment on a woman’s body can walk out into traffic.

4. kayleesays Street harassment in Maine: When the same car drives by four times because you’re sunbathing.

5. PoshBirdGabi Company working on new Moore’s store @ Dunfield & Eglinton engages in #streetharassment. See pic http://yfrog.com/kl1eckj

6. danabalicki Every kind of transportation malfunction topped off by #streetharassment BS. #awesome

7. Fleegull Amazing that a woman who has experienced street harassment has the nerve to tell other women that the harassment they receive is positive.

8. khellonmars I have resolved how I will battle street harassment: saying quietly to myself, “God Bless You.” Brings me peace.

9. BluDissertation Last night, coming home, I had to walk fast, keep my mean mug on, and hold my purse tight. Street harassment is NO joke.

10. DonnaeWahl So, before you start making my Sunday unpleasant, ask yourself, who would Jesus street harass? #streetharassment

11. Sarahcarr Gentlemen of the world: do any of u think that women enjoy verbal harassment from strangers in the street? Be honest.

12. hkearl Happy Father’s Day to all the great anti-street harassment male allies, including my dad! male ally resources: http://tinyurl.com/3levfzw

13. MAswad I honestly believe that to #EndSh, women need to stand up for their rights, shout, fight, and kick the harasser’s ass. Simple.

14. PoshBirdGabi Called cops re #streetharassment by construction workers on my street. Cops went and cautioned them.

15. nasawiya Tomorrow, #Lebanon bloggers & tweeps join #Egypt #Syria and #Sudan to raise awareness about sexual harassment. Join in! #EndSH

Kissy kissy in the suburbs — aren’t these Our Streets, Too?

June 18, 2011 By HKearl

At the end of last summer, my partner and I bought a townhouse in an area where there are a lot of running trails and a high school track nearby specifically in the hope that I’d be able to go running without facing harassment.

(Side note: What kind of messed up woman-hating world do we live in where thinking about street harasser has to be part of our housing decision? In a survey of 811 women that I conducted for the Stop Street Harassment book, almost 20 percent said they had moved neighborhoods because of street harassers.)

Since we moved, I have faced a lot less harassment, in part because I had a hamstring injury when we moved and couldn’t run again until the late fall, when there is less harassment anyway, and also because I do stick to the trails and track as much as I can. But sometimes I face harassment from guys in cars as I run along the road from my house to reach the trails or the track. And that’s frustrating.

Lately, I’ve also been facing harassment while walking my two dogs. Most recently, I walked them at a bright and early 6:15 a.m. one day last week and a guy harassed me from his car, yelling crap out his window. Really? 6:15 a.m.?

Just now, I got back from walking my dogs at 8:30 p.m. and a car fully of guys made kissy noises out their car window at me. Thanks, kissy guys. I really wanted to be treated with disrespect, as if I am an object, while walking my dogs. NOT.

This is very benign harassment, of course, compared to some that I’ve faced and compared to what a majority of women have faced at some point (e.g. in my survey, 75 percent of women had been followed, more than 50 percent had been sexually touched). But it’s still not okay. It’s still upsetting.

And PS, I live in a suburb of Washington, DC. I’ve always lived in suburbs across the country and I’ve faced most of my harassment there. Often people think street harassment is a “city” thing, but it is not. It happens in cities, suburbs, along rural roads, in shopping malls, libraries, movie theaters, on buses, subways, taxis, in parks, and along hiking trails. It’s everywhere and it’s gotta end.

[Update on 6/19 — I had to give a work presentation at 7 a.m. this morning and as I walked from my car to the location, a man whistled at me. It was 6:45 a.m. by L Street and Vermont in Washington, DC. Two harassment incidents in 12 hours made me pretty grumpy!]

If you live in the Washington, DC, area, please join me and others in the area in marching against street harassment next Sunday, June 26, 2 p.m. Let’s remind people that these are Our Streets, Too!!

– Holly

Location: Reston, VA

Share your street harassment story today and help raise awareness about the problem.
Find suggestions for what YOU can do about this human rights issue.

Making the streets of Sri Lanka safer

June 17, 2011 By HKearl

There’s a new group in Colombo, Sri Lanka, speaking out against street harassment/sexual harassment in public places. Their group is Join the Fight Against Harassers. Via their Facebook page:

“More than 95% of women find it unsafe to travel alone in public spaces in Colombo. Every woman has faced some form of public harassment in the form of leering, stalking and catcalling, sometimes even leading up to physical harassment.

Public spaces are for every citizen to use without any hindrance or threat of sexual harassment. This campaign aims to make the streets of Sri Lanka safer for all its citizens, to create awareness on the measures that can be taken to protect ourselves from harassment and to empower people to stand up against sexual harassment in public spaces. Most importantly, to change the attitude that it is a menace that simply cannot be stopped.

This page will update you on how and what you can do to clean up the streets of Colombo. Join us now in the fight against harassment.

This campaign is run by Reach Out and Beyond Borders.”

I’m excited by all the international groups speaking out right now! From Lebanon and Egypt to South Africa and India, to the UK and Chile, and of course all of the Hollaback sites, global efforts are going to make a difference!

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