On Saturday 8 March—International Women’s Day—two major demonstrations took place in downtown London
~ Blade Runner ~
A coalition of grassroots feminist and supporting organisations called for an International Women’s Strike, gathering at Gandalf’s Corner in Regent’s Park.
A colourful and vibrant crowd numbering in the low thousands marched chanting through Marylebone, bringing traffic to a standstill at Oxford Circus before concluding at Piccadilly Circus.
The march received (generally) positive reactions from drivers and bystanders and the Piccadilly Circus rally featured speeches from sex and care worker groups.
At the same time, a mainstream demonstration supported by the unions featured thousands gathering off at Oxford Street before marching to Trafalgar Square, shutting down major streets for the Million Women Rise march.
The grassroots coalition issued a call to “strike to honour all those who are oppressed and martyred to keep the wheels of capitalism, imperialism, racism, and the patriarchal war machine running”.
“We strike because we know that the state does not take care of us—we take care of us!”, said the call.
The callout also highlighted troubling statistics, including the fact that a woman is killed every three days in the UK, and the continuous attacks on trans rights as well as the Labour government’s escalating persecution of migrants.
Photos: Shiri Shalmy, Blade Runner
