Hundreds take the streets in Seattle to demand an end to sexual violence in response to Cornell rapes
Seattle, WA – On Thursday, October 8, more than 150 people marched in Seattle as part of a national day of action to demand a stop to sexual violence. The event started with a rally at the Henry M. Jackson Federal Building. Attendees wore “Hello, I am Jane Doe” stickers and called for the punishment of the Cornell 7 and all rapists.
The event was organized locally by the Gender Equity Movement, Seattle Handmaids, Seattle Indivisible, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization.
Lisa Weber from the National Organization of Women was the first to speak. She drew attention to the additional violence faced by immigrant women, especially those who are undocumented.
Many attendees wore teal, a color to raise awareness of sexual assault. Organizers talked to people at a table about further ways to get involved. Protesters brought signs such as “Justice for survivors” and “I am Jane Doe.” People angered by the Cornell 7, who had raped a woman and not been prosecuted because police did not listen to the victim, were motivated to act.
Meredith Ruff, a member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization and former domestic violence attorney, said, “We will never achieve full equality under a system that profits from our oppression. Capitalism has no incentive to end discrimination against women and LGBTQ people when our subordination remains profitable. We have to fight for something different: socialism.”
The march was led by a banner calling for the enactment of the Equal Rights Amendment. The amendment has been ratified by enough states to become law since 2017, but because of how long it has taken, it has not been recognized. It would prohibit sexual discrimination. Chants included “Sexual violence has got to go” and “Say it once, say it again, no excuse for violent men.” The crowd cut through downtown Seattle, blocking streets and traffic.
The march stopped next to the King County Prosecutor’s Office. Zoe Mason of the Gender Equity Movement, who had earlier explained the failures of the prosecutor’s office to charge rapists, called for more action against sexual violence stating,“We are demanding that they stand up and they prosecute rapists. Do your job!”
The crowd then was led in the Chilean protest song, A Rapist in Your Path. Still blocking the intersection, people sang, “And the fault wasn’t mine, not where I was, not how I dressed, the oppressive state is a rapist.” The march then continued back to the federal building.