Page 2 - ARUBA TODAY

A2 UP FRONT
Monday 9 March 2020
Continued from front of the tens of thousands
Turkish riot police fired tear of protesters in Sao Paulo,
gas to disperse thousands Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia
of demonstrators who, in denouncing the adminis-
defiance of a government tration of far-right President
ban, tried to march along Jair Bolsonaro, who has
Istanbul's main pedestrian made comments seen by
street to mark International many as offensive to wom-
Women's Day, media re- en.
ports said. A group of women, their
Turkish authorities declared mouths covered in a
Istiklal street, near Istanbul's blood-colored hand print,
main Taksim square, off- performed a dance in
limits, and said the planned commemoration of Mari-
march down the avenue elle Franco, the black Rio
was unauthorized. Thou- state councilwoman that
sands of demonstrators, was killed in 2018. Two
most of them women, gath- years have gone by and
ered near Istiklal regardless the mastermind of the at-
and tried to break through tack against the leftist poli-
police barricades to reach tician and LGBT activist has
it, according to the oppo- yet to be found. A woman covers her face as she participates in a rally celebrating International Women's Day at
sition Cumhuriyet newspa- One of the largest demon- Washington Square Park in New York, Sunday, March 8, 2020.
per and other media. strations occurred in Chile, Associated Press
The independent T24 news where crowds thousands
website said police also flooded the streets of the days by a current or former both girls and boys to re- called an unauthorized
fired blanks to disperse the capital with dancing, mu- partner, and the govern- spect the contributions of rally.
crowd. sic and angry demands ment is increasing efforts to women every day of the Demonstrators had gath-
Several demonstrators for gender equality and crack down on domestic year. ered in the city's main
were detained, according an end to violence against violence. "For young men ... you square to express support
to Cumhuriyet. women. "They should provide re- have your mothers, sisters, for women's and children's
Turkish authorities have "They kill us, they rape us sources for shelters for girlfriends, friends in your rights. But unidentified men
restricted protests in the and nobody does any- women, victim of violence, life — protect them. Make barged into the gathering.
country in recent years, cit- thing," some chanted. real resources, human re- sure they are feeling val- Police said people from
ing security. Police had set National police estimated sources, also prevention ued and safe," she told the both sides were detained,
up barricades on all streets 125,000 took part in the programs for violent men," students. But safety was in but news reports said they
leading to Istiklal and capital and nearly 35,000 in union activist Julia Parbo- short supply at some events were primarily women.
closed down the nearest other cities, but organizers tin said. Tens of thousands to mark the day. They were released several
subway stop. said the crowds were far of women also marched The detonation of explo- hours later, after about 10
In Pakistan, however, wom- larger. Scattered clashes in Madrid and other Span- sives triggered panic at a had been charged with re-
en managed to rally in cities broke out at points when ish cities, despite concern ceremony in Bamenda, sisting police, the Akipress
across the country, despite demonstrators threw rocks over the spread of the new an English-speaking town news agency reported, cit-
petitions filed in court seek- at police, who responded coronavirus. in the northwest of Camer- ing an attorney.
ing to stop them. The oppo- with water cannon. A massive banner reading, oon. Suspicions focused on In Nicaragua, where au-
sition was stirred in part by Many protesters demand- "With rights, without barri- separatists who had vowed thorities have banned
controversy over a slogan ed that a proposed new ers. Feminists without fron- to disrupt the events. No opposition protests since
used in last year's march: constitution strengthen tiers" in Spanish was carried one was killed or wounded. September 2018, police
"My Body, My Choice." rights for women and thou- at the front of the march in Police in Bishek, the capital surrounded and blocked
Some conservative groups sands wore green scarves the capital. city of Kyrgyzstan, detained two groups of women at a
had threatened to stop in a show of support for ac- Spanish health authorities about 60 people after a church and human rights
this year's marches by tivists in neighboring Argen- said did not put any restric- group of unidentified men office who had planned to
force. But Pakistani offi- tina, which is considering a tions on the march, but broke up what authorities stage a demonstration.q
cials pledged to protect proposal to legalize elec- recommended that any-
the marchers. The rallies tive abortion. one with symptoms similar
are notable in a conserva- Tens of thousands of wom- to those of the coronavirus
tive country where women en also marched through stay home. Authorities said
often do not feel safe in Paris, inveighing against 120,000 people participat-
public places because the "virus of the patriarchy." ed in Madrid's march, down
of open harassment. The "Enough impunity!" chant- from 350,000 last year.
main Islamic political party, ed some activists, who fo- At a school in East London,
Jamaat-e-Islami, organized cused on France's unusu- meanwhile, the duchess
its own rallies to counter the ally high rate of women of Sussex, Meghan Markle,
march. killed by their husbands. joined students in listening
In Brazil, protests took a Last year, one woman was to speeches about women
political turn, with many killed every two or three labor activists, and urged