El Arbolito park, in the north center of Quito, was the meeting point for hundreds of people, most of them women, who came together to mobilize on the afternoon and evening of Tuesday, March 8. in commemoration of International Women’s Day. With signs, drums, bugles and slogans, they called for a fairer society, for the eradication of gender violence, for abortion, for ending the gaps that put them at a disadvantage compared to men.
Among the people who attended the call was Carmen Castelo, who attended with her 9-year-old daughter Daniela. Both wore purple handkerchiefs around their necks and carried a piece of cardboard of the same color with the written phrase “Vivas nos quémos”, an emblematic legend of the fight against femicides.
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“I came with my daughter because it is important that she learn as a child to demand her rights. That she knows that women should not live in fear, that it is not right for them to mistreat us, that there should be no inequalities between men and women, “said Castelo, while adjusting Daniela’s handkerchief.
In the park, social organizations and groups of various kinds were stationed. There were communities of students, indigenous people, workers, transgender people, lesbians, the elderly, among others. Some sported painted faces or wore hoods. And there were also men, young and old, who empathize with the causes of the struggle.
Claudia Abad arrived with her group of women incense burners, carrying pots and burning incense and palo santo inside them as an act of purification. “We put the sacred fire that was given by our ancestors for the service of the community. We accompany a fight that is absolutely necessary and indispensable. This date we claim that women are subjects of law and with the fire we sanctify that, “explained Abad.
The march left around 5:30 p.m. and headed towards the historic center, through 12 de Octubre and Gran Colombia avenues, followed by Guayaquil street to enter the colonial quarter. The crowd stretched for at least eight blocks.
“Mr. Mrs! don’t be indifferent, women are killed in people’s faces… Alert! Alert! Alert that the feminist struggle is walking in Latin America… Not one less, long live we love each other!”, were some of the slogans that were chanted loudly, in the midst of the gaze of drivers and passers-by.
The mobilization was not free of altercations. In the historic center, the women ran into metal fences and a police barricade that prevented their passage through Mejía and Venezuela streets. There were brief clashes with the uniformed men, who responded by throwing tear gas and water.
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Some activists threw paint on the agents’ shields and lit torches as a sign of resistance. Given the impossibility of reaching Carondelet, the crowd went to Plaza Santo Domingo. Around 8:00 p.m., the attendees began to leave the place, after an intense day of more than three hours. (I)
Source: Eluniverso
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