Soon after a mass molestation in Bengaluru on New Year’s Eve, a CCTV video showing two scooter-borne men assaulting and molesting a woman on in Bangalore’s Kammanahalli neighbourhood went viral, provoking outrage across India. Women began sharing messages of solidarity on social media and a movement that began in those posts coalesced into a nationwide march on Saturday evening.
From Mumbai and Delhi to Nagpur, Bhopal, Silchar and Thrissur, hundreds of women across 30 Indian cities marched as part of the “I Will Go Out” campaign to stake claim to equal right to public spaces. The marches were organised by a collective of individuals and women’s rights groups under the name “I Will Go Out”. The collective describes itself as “a nationwide gathering in solidarity against sexual harassment and misogyny, and to reclaim women’s right to safe public spaces”.
The official national poster of #IWillGoOut is up! JOIN US on the streets in YOUR city on the 21st! #YesAllWomen #WomensMarch #India pic.twitter.com/AdhChHJgms
— I Will Go Out (@iwillgoout2017) January 16, 2017
The mass protest had its roots in the Why Loiter campaign of 2014, which encouraged women to “loiter” in public spaces or enjoy them for no reason, other than to make them safer for other women. Ironically, on Saturday, the protesters in many cities were denied permission by the police to hold marches and eventually had to restrict themselves to one area.
Watching #IWillGoOut pics from all over the country and wondering why in this city of mine #Mumbai we could not march.#NoPolicePermission
— Why Loiter? (@whyloiter) January 21, 2017
Still, women turned up in large numbers, shouting slogans such as “Ab kehti hai har ek nari, Din bhi hamara raat bhi hamari” (Every woman voices the same chant, the day is ours, and so is the night) and holding placards that read “Take back the night, break the silence, end the violence”.
Here are some images and videos from the nationwide marches:
Ab kehti hai har ek nari
— Feminism in India (@FeminismInIndia) January 21, 2017
Din bhi hamara raat bhi hamari#IWillGoOut pic.twitter.com/NOauum34Pb
#IWillGoOut Mumbai chapter. @mizarcle @The_Karishma @iwillgoout2017 @WiseDonkay @whyloiter @FeminismInIndia
— Neha Ramneek Kapoor (@PWNeha) January 21, 2017
📸: @rahul_vangani pic.twitter.com/M43xRPWXf4
Bengaluru women won’t let molesters keep them at home, insist ‘I Will Go Out’ https://t.co/RQW1vsXEQP pic.twitter.com/egM979piu9
— Sabrang (@sabrangindia) January 12, 2017
#Bhopal women & folks reclaiming public streets along with 30cities#IWillGoOut @iwillgoout2017 #fearless pic.twitter.com/r3fQd2EVZd
— Kokila Bhattacharya (@KokilaB) January 21, 2017
Our sisters in Thrissur, Kerala! #IWillGoOut pic.twitter.com/rDkT7TpDZ9
— I Will Go Out (@iwillgoout2017) January 21, 2017
And still we rise! In solidarity with #IWillGoOut in India & the #WomensMarch in the US. Our feminism is intersectional, fearless & nasty pic.twitter.com/Zelyyv5MSK
— CREA (@ThinkCREA) January 21, 2017
Hundreds of people took to the streets of New Delhi to demand safe public spaces for women #IWillGoOut #WomensMarchDelhi pic.twitter.com/BoGOwKzfPV
— Nita Bhalla (@nitabhalla) January 21, 2017
Women chant for freedom and demand safety in public spaces at a march in New Delhi on Saturday. #IWillGoOut #WomensMarchDelhi pic.twitter.com/L8qbAhZRRI
— Nita Bhalla (@nitabhalla) January 21, 2017
Joined the #WomensMarch in Hyderabad to reclaim public spaces and in solidarity with women everywhere. #IWillGoOut because it's my space. pic.twitter.com/AyLoN92dZ5
— Natasha Ramarathnam (@nuts2406) January 21, 2017
And #Ranchi is up and about! #IWillGoOut pic.twitter.com/xQpLnwvJL7
— I Will Go Out (@iwillgoout2017) January 21, 2017
#Chennai is out in solidarity! #IWillGoOut pic.twitter.com/WP73AAEQr5
— I Will Go Out (@iwillgoout2017) January 21, 2017
#IWillGoOut art and protest combined. Pune says I will go out. pic.twitter.com/pBZw4WXDU6
— Foram Mehta (@mehtaforam24) January 21, 2017
At many marches, the protesting women shared messages of solidarity and described their experiences in public spaces.
“I have every right to be safe,” said a protestor in the video, below recollecting instances of sexual assault. “Let’s remember Manorama, let’s remember those 16 victims and let’s remember any and everybody who’s never had the courage to come out, and talk about sexual harassment.”
#IWillGOOut - Pune Speaks https://t.co/svdtlM5uJh
— I Will Go Out (@iwillgoout2017) January 21, 2017