Montrealers defy frigid temperatures to celebrate International Women’s Day

Montréal, Québec -- On Tuesday, 8^th March 2011, Montréalers took to the streets to celebrate International Women’s Day. Despite freezing weather condition, close to 400 Montréalers marched along Ste-Catherine street, in the downtown heart of the city.  The demo organized for the tenth year in a row by the 8^th March Committee of Women of Diverse Origins drew in an array of groups, some of whom are members of the 8^th March Committee – PINAY (the Filipino Womens’ Organization in Québec), the South Asian Women’s Community Centre, the Immigrant Workers’ centre, the Iranian Women’s Association, Proletarian Feminist Front, and the Movement Against Rape and Incest. There were many women joined by male supporters and allies. The were elders and many youth.  The  groups represented local and international issues – Palestine, aboriginal women who have been disappeared, working-class women of Montréal, migrant workers from the Philippines and Latin America, violence against women, students and workers.

Catching many eyes along the route of the demonstration were large cut-outs of women with their arms raised, trailing brightly-coloured ribbons of fabric.  They symbolized uprising to make real the slogan for this year in Montréal, “The Slaves of the Slaves Rise Up!” an historic slogan adopted by women struggling for change and equality in different parts of the world at various historic junctures. It is a call from brave women, oppressed in their own societies, who have been at the heart of their people’s struggles against regimes and tyrants who themselves were servants to imperialist masters. The slogan was selected because it spoke to the inspiring and historic revolts sweeping North Africa and the Middle East where women are on the frontlines, the backbone of resistance.

Different speakers at the start and at the end of the demonstration spoke to local and global realities, with a good mix of feminist, left and radical perspectives, drawing attention to women’s struggles for peace and justice all over the world. Those gathered were reminded that women are still  ½ of the world’s people who do 2/3 of the world’s work, earn 1/10 of the world’s income and own 1/100 of the world’s property. 

 

Slogans in several languages reverberated along the route of the demonstration: “Mujeres unidas jamas seran vencidas!” “So-so-so solidarité avec les femmes du monde entier”, and "Save the planet, Smash the System, Put an end to imperialism!" Some groups sang and at times all you could hear was loud sound without any identifiable word or phrase. What came through was the force of the voices and the collective sense of solidarity and struggle. This was again visible when at the end of the demo, standing to hear the closing speeches, the banners of many groups were held in what seemed a solid wall of different women’s organizations, standing together in solidarity to celebrate and affirm the strength of women to continue to make change for a better society for their families, communities and themselves.

See more photos on the web site: www.wdofdo.wordpress.com