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Topless activism in Paris

Topless activism in Paris

  • Posted by Maryam Namazie
  • On March 30, 2012
  • 8 Comments
  • FEMEN

I am off to Paris to join a FEMEN public collective action in support of women’s rights activists of the spring revolutions in Arab countries.

FEMEN are the topless activists who also did an action in support of Iran stoning case Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani a while back. One of their activists, Alena Magelat, joined the Nude Photo Revolutionary Calendar.

Because of the importance of nudity in the fight against misogyny, FEMEN sections are opening in various countries.

Saturday’s action is the launch of FEMEN Paris.

The action will take place on 31 March 2012 at 2pm at 144 Rue Quicampoix / Paris / Galerie du Jour.

For more information, contact: femen.fr@gmail.com or see their Facebook page.

Apparently, it will begin with women wearing burkas…

Do join in the action if you are around on the day.

 

8 Comments

Stephanie
This is SHAMEFUL! They and all who support this have no morals! The Devil is smiling. Great job, they bought their tickets to hell!
Winterwind
While I personally am a little uncomfortable with nudity and wary of the dangers of people misusing such protests for sexual objectification (like some people during Boobquake), I understand the principles behind your position and applaud you for your courage.
F
I seem to find out about most of these protests-via-nudity after the fact, usually because some mouthpiece or other condemns the action as if it were some armed insurrection committing atrocities. I recently came across an article I clipped from a newspaper some years ago. It was about Iranian women be accosted by police for being improperly covered. There is an accompanying photo in which one can see clearly the faces of two women, one standing with an officer and one in the background. The expressions on their faces are priceless - expressions which seem to me to say, "You cannot possibly be serious." How far we've come since then, eh?
A_Free_American
Good luck, Maryam Namzaie! There is a "top free" movement out of Canada that represents the USA too that mentions Femen. Its website is http://www.tera.ca/! In one of their articles, 2011, November 04, Holly van Voast, self-described "topless paparazzo," while taking a photo of Bill Cosby in New York City offends a Sharia Islamic woman while her husband is obviously leering! It is kind of funny so check it out, everybody! As a Rightist, this is my opinion on the top free issue. The sidewalks and parks are paid for by all taxpayers, male and female! Therefore in a civilized, western country, we must have equality of access for all! If a given metro area allows men to walk around top free, THEY SHOULD ALSO ALLOW WOMEN THE SAME RIGHT! If a metro's local standards wish to forbid frontal nudity, THEY SHOULD FORBID TOPLESSNESS IN BOTH MALES AND FEMALES! I would favor a vote in local areas to decide their community standards AND EVERYBODY SHOULD JUST GET ALONG! We can have diverse communities in a civilized country with each area having its own moral values SO THE MAJORITY IS NOT OFFENDED! HOWEVER, THE RULES SHOULD APPLY TO BOTH GENDERS AND THE LAW OF THE STATE SHOULD PREVAIL IN LEGAL DECISIONS AFFECTING LEGAL SITUATIONS AND IT SHOULD BE THE SAME FOR ALL WITH NO ONES' RELIGIOUS COURTS HAVING REAL LEGAL AUTHORITY OUTSIDE THE PUBLIC, LEGAL SYSTEM! I believe in private, property rights and the right of business owners as well as private organizations to regulate the morality of people inside their property lines BUT THEIR RULES SHOULD APPLY TO BOTH GENDERS! National Parks and Provincial Parks should be open to nudists. There can be designated areas for all to coexist WITHOUT ONE SIDE SEEING THE OTHER BUT IF PEOPLE SEE A NUDE BODY AT A DISTANCE IS IT REALLY SUCH A BIG DEAL? I'm forever amazed that in this day and age WITH THERE BEING SO MUCH GOING ON IN THE WORLD TO GET CONCERNED ABOUT LIKE SHARIA, ISLAMIC TERRORISM and a crappy economy THAT SOME FOLKS CAN GET SO UPSET ABOUT THE PUBLIC EXPRESSION OF OTHERS! One good thing about the Sharia Islamics wearing veils is that we know who they are and they can't move very quickly! After all, it isn't islamaphobia IF THEY ARE REALLY DESIRING TO KILL YOU! Perhaps, had the Algerian in Toulouse been forced to wear a veil, one of his intended victims might have been able to get away! I would personally favor forcing Sharia, Islamic men to have to wear the veils they make their women wear EXCEPT IT WOULD BE INTERFERING WITH THEIR RELIGION AND ONCE WE GO DOWN THAT ROAD, ALL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM FOR EVERYBODY ELSE BECOMES JEOPARDIZED! We rightists believe in the power of principle AND PRECEDENT over social prejudice BUT THE IDEA REALLY DOES APPEAL TO ME AND WOULD INDEED HAVE A JUSTICE COMPONENT!
    A_Free_American
    Last but not least, I clicked one of the links that Maryam Namazie mentions here on the word "action" in support of Iran stoning case Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani and found her site http://onelawforallpetition.com/ and signed her petition there regarding Sharia! I encourage all to do so! While trying to register my contact, though, the code to take my information kept giving a different code than the one presented! I believe that there might be an effort to suppress folks from registering their contact information there. I finally copied the code presented as the right one even though it was different than the one presented to by copied and pasted it in so I was allowed to register!
    peicurmudgeon
    @ A_Free_American It was quite a number of years ago that a court in Ontario made a ruling using your basic arguments. They said that for gender equality, dress standards should eb the same for women and men. Very few women take their tops off, but now it is their choice. Which is really what it's all about anyway.
Ali
I've only been following your site for a few weeks,and very impressed. Women 'without a doubt' have so much more to loose at the hands of religious bigotry. Good luck on the march.
George Connell
Good for you. Too many folks still need to be educated in the ways of the world and basic human courtesy. Good Luck...

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Maryam Namazie