Bengaluru: Hundreds of people from different walks of life joined the march from KSR (City) Railway Station to Freedom Park on Saturday demanding safety in public spaces for women after several cases of molestation of women was reported in Bengaluru city on New Year`s Eve.
The protest march was part of a nationwide movement called #IWillGoOut that gained tremendous support on social media.
People gathered in over 30 towns and cities across the country such as Delhi and Jaipur and were seen chanting slogans such as “Freedom, Freedom, Freedom!” holding placards saying “Take back the night. Break the silence. End the violence” and “Nobody asks what my molester was wearing.In Bengaluru itself nearly 500 people, including activists, senior citizens and college students marched to the beat of street drummers.The participants raised slogans such as ‘my body, my right’ and ‘freedom for women’.
Proving a point that public spaces are meant for women too, many were seen dancing fearlessly on the streets and in the park. Bengaluru artistes such as Bindu Malini and Deepti Sudhindra performed and several others gave speeches. Tara Krishnaswamy, part of the Bengaluru chapter of the movement and a member of Citizens for Bengaluru says, “Karnataka has not put in even one line about making urban spaces safe for women in the budget being discussed and, that needs to change. Public pressure is the only way. It is a long struggle but this is only the beginning.”
Members of several women’s rights groups participated and spoke against victim blaming. The importance of reporting incidents of harassment was also stressed upon.
