Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

“Look how fat that girl is”

By

I have been harassed yet again this week.

Yesterday I was walking down the street with my boyfriends mother when three boys on bikes said, “Look how fat that girl is” along with a shout of “Fatty”! I was wearing a sun dress because it was a very hot day. I felt good in this dress, now I don’t even want to wear it. That cruel remark has destroyed any confidence I had wearing it.

When I got to my destination, I was upset and other people noticed. I told them about the boys and they told me not to take any notice of them. But thats so easy for them to say. I was upset for the rest of the night.

Today I was walking past a house where there were men at work. Despite walking on the other side of the road, I heard laughter and they were all leering at me. I could not be bothered to confront them, all I could do was give them the middle finger. I’ve just had enough.

At the moment, I feel like giving up. I feel completely powerless and unable to defend myself.

I am going to join a slimming club to try to lose weight because Im sick of being judged simply because Im curvy and not a twig. Maybe then people will start accepting me instead of critisising me.

– Clarice

Location: North Cornelly, Wales, UK

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.

Share

Harassed, followed, assaulted on Oxford Street in Liverpool

By

[Trigger Warning — Sexual Assault]

I was walking home from a club late at night, having become separated from my friend earlier on in the night. I stopped on the steps of a cathedral close to my house to have a cigarette and look at the view, and as I came down the steps, a man came out of a side street and began to follow me.

He tried to talk to me and I politely told him that I needed to get home, and said goodnight to him. At that point, he began grabbing me by the waist, holding onto me tighter every time I slipped away from him. I turned around and screamed at him to leave me alone, by this point scared and beginning to cry.

As I walked behind the bus stop next to my home, he grabbed me again, this time refusing to let me go. He pushed his hand into my underwear, and sexually assaulted me.

Several cars drove past less than two metres away from where I was being attacked, in full view of the road, and as I can remember it was the fifth or sixth passer by who eventually stopped to help me.

– Anonymous

Location: Oxford Street, Liverpool, UK

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.

Share

“Maybe something about the way you dress is triggering them”

By

I can’t believe some people are still blaming women for street harassment. I just read this on a forum:

“In my experience, cat calls have almost disappeared. I’m not only speaking of me – I don’t even see them directed at other women. Therefore, I have to hesitantly say that maybe something about the way you dress is triggering them.”

From another woman, shamefully enough.

– Anonymous

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.

Share

“These teenagers liked the fight, they were laughing about the whole thing”

By

I have a story to share– but it’s about racism. And one worth sharing: I was on the N Line going uptown a little before 3PM today (2:50-2:58?). I boarded on 57th and 7th. I don’t remember the subway car. Right when I walked in I heard yelling.

I had no idea what was going on, everyone in the car (it was a reasonably full car) was staring at a group of 6-7 african american teenage girls in the middle of the car. I soon realized what was happening– after the victims that they had been yelling at had exited the car, they turned and came back in because a few of the girls were cussing them out (profanely).

I saw the victims were a 20-something year old couple: an african american male and his asian girlfriend. It became evident that not only these teenagers were racist— but they saw this mixed-race couple and started an altercation, calling them names and insulting them (BOTH)– especially making fun of the asian girl’s accent.

It was a completely verbal argument, but one that could’ve easily turned physical in any other situation (example, like if the teens were boys, the victimized man may have tried physical retaliation). The victims turned back in after they taunted them after they had exited– but they couldn’t really do anything– they were visibly upset, but they did not/could not reciprocate appropriately. I assume it was because these girls were all underage, and there was a large gang of them, even though they were just teenagers. Also, of course, there are no cops around and there’s no videocamera. There’s no accountability. Meanwhile, everyone was just staring. The girls yelled at them to get out of the car again, and as they left again, one of the girls wanted to get in the last word, she actually (opened?) the subway window and yelled the couple,

“Don’t eat that Chinese p***y!!!!”

But the most terrible thing is that these teenagers liked the fight, they were laughing about the whole thing.

When the doors closed again I realized I had walked into a bad situation– as I am acutally asian myself and I had walked to stand on the car just several feet away from them. I am pretty new to the NYC subway system (I only come in about once a month), so I had no idea what to do. Does each car have an intercom? I felt that if it did, someone on the car should’ve reported it. If the car didn’t have an intercom, it SHOULD. People need to be held accountable for their actions— especially ones of a racist nature. The only way to do that is either have a police officer/security stationed at each platform OR have live video feed OR have an intercom.

This shouldn’t happen. It was one of the saddest, most disturbing experiences– a car full of young racist children, surrounded by passive adults.

As I turned my back to leave for my stop near 60th & Park, one of the girls tried to throw a piece of garbage at the back of my head (completely unprovoked by me– which is why I say they must’ve provoked the prior incident). She missed, and I ignored it and I kicked it to the side. I left the car quickly, and they followed. They followed me up the stairs laughing and giggling and egging each other on to try to throw the garbage at my head again. This second time they succeeded. As my back was already turned to them, I ignored them. I keep wondering what else I could have done, why there was so much hatred in these kids who just got out of school (presumably), and why a subway car full of mixed race adults said nothing.

They were teenage girls…lashing out and laughing not only at another race, but one of their own. This was a case of second degree aggravated assault– no laughing matter. The MTA needs to get their act together…

– GC

Location: N line– 57th and 7th, New York City

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.

Share

“I cried for the rest of the subway ride.”

By

When I was 20, I was walking down the stairs into a subway, in broad daylight. Some punk kid followed me down and when he saw it was deserted, he grabbed my ass. I wheeled around on him and started screaming and backed him into a wall, but then I became so afraid that he might do something that I ran off. I cried for the rest of the subway ride.

– Anonymous

Location: Brooklyn, New York

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.

Share