(C) Common Dreams
This story was originally published by Common Dreams and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .
Thousands in France march in support of Gisèle Pelicot and protest of 'rape culture' [1]
['Le Monde With Afp']
Date: 2024-09-14
A protester holds a placard as she takes part in a demonstration in support of Gisèle Pelicot in Paris on September 14, 2024. IAN LANGSDON / AFP
Thousands took to the streets across French cities on Saturday, September 14, to demand an end to rape and support the main plaintiff in a mass sexual assault trial that has shocked the country.
Gisèle Pelicot, who is using her married name, has requested the trial of her ex-husband and 50 co-defendants since September 2 be made public to raise awareness about the use of drugs to commit abuse.
Dominique Pelicot, her partner of around five decades, has admitted to drugging her for years to rape her or watch her being raped while unconscious by dozens of strangers he recruited online.
The case has horrified France, especially as many of the co-accused are seemingly ordinary men with everyday jobs, and several of the suspects remain at large.
"We are all Gisèle," a large crowd chanted in the capital Paris. "Rapist we see you, victim we believe you."
People take part in a gathering at Place de la Rébublique in support of 71-year-old Gisèle Pelicot who was allegedly drugged by her ex-husband and raped by dozens of men while unconscious, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024 in Paris. MICHEL EULER / AP
In the southern city of Marseille, activists hung up a banner on the city's court building calling for alleged perpetrators – not victims – to be ashamed. "Shame must change sides," it read, echoing Gisèle Pelicot's own words through one of her lawyers.
Justine Imbert, 34, had come with her six-year-old daughter. "It must have taken huge courage, but it was essential" for Gisèle Pelicot to request the trial be public, she said. "It allows people to see the faces of her husband and all the others, to see they are not outcasts but 'good fathers'."
Retiree Martine Ragon, 74, said she was there too to "call out rape culture," referring to an environment in which sexual violence is normalized. "The media coverage on the trial will allow us to speak up about it," she said.
In the western city of Rennes, a young woman held up a sign with the sentence "protect your daughters" crossed out. "Educate your son," it read instead.
A protestor holds a placard reading "Protect your daughter (crossed out) - educate your son" during a demonstration in support of Gisèle Pelicot in Rennes, western France on September 14, 2024. DAMIEN MEYER / AFP
In the central city of Clermont-Ferrand, 26-year-old agricultural worker Stéphane Boufferet said he hoped Gisèle Pelicot would find justice. "When I read the story, I was disgusted, even disgusted to be a man," he said.
France's cinema industry has been rocked by allegations of sexual assault in recent years, including several against film legend Gérard Depardieu. But the trial in the southern city of Avignon has drawn attention on rape in everyday society.
Among the protesters in Paris was Charlotte Arnould, an actor who had accused Depardieu of raping her in 2018 when she was 22 and anorexic. The 75-year-old actor has been charged with rape in the case since 2020 and prosecutors last month called for him to face trial.
Demonstrators in the capital also included the author of a book denouncing incest, Camille Kouchner, and lawmaker Sandrine Josso who last year accused a senator of drugging her with the aim of assaulting her.
Read more Subscribers only French senator suspected of drugging MP pleads 'handling error'
[END]
---
[1] Url:
https://www.lemonde.fr/en/france/article/2024/09/14/thousands-in-france-march-in-support-of-gisele-pelicot-and-protest-of-rape-culture_6726066_7.html
Published and (C) by Common Dreams
Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 3.0..
via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/commondreams/
