FEMEN Protests Against Violence Towards Women In Istanbul
Source: Cryptome
FEMEN is a feminist social activism group founded in Ukraine in 2008. On March 8, 2012, International Women’s Day, they took to the streets of Istanbul to protest acid attacks and the treatment of women in Turkey. Turkey is home to persistently high levels of domestic violence that find themselves increasingly embedded within the Turkish social fabric. Case in point? A male contestant on a dating show admitted to killing his first wife and later axing a lover to death.
Source: Cryptome
FEMEN’s trademark approach is to go topless while protesting. Using nudity as a method for spreading information is effective in conservative nations due to its inherent shock value.
Source: Cryptome
The FEMEN protestors used makeup to mimic the effects of acid burns. They also painted on bruises and wounds to draw attention to domestic violence issues in Turkey, where it’s reported that 40% of women are affected.
Source: Cryptome
Photographers surround the protestors, snapping pictures and recording video. The Turkish police eventually arrested the protestors.
Source: Cryptome
Dragged away kicking and screaming, a FEMEN protestor fights until the end. FEMEN members claim they have been intimidated by the Ukrainian government and have been subject to death threats.
