‘The Rapist Is You’, A Global Anthem Against Sexual Violence Will Be Performed In India

‘Rape’, the word itself boils your blood, doesn’t it? While the nation is still furious over gruesome cases such as the rape and murder of the Hyderabad veterinarian or the brutal act against the 3-year-old girl in Aligarh, a global moment has now begun to protest against this heinous crime.

From quiet beginnings just a few weeks ago, ‘The Rapist is You’ – the creation of four performing artists from a Chilean feminist group called LasTesis, has now turned into a global uproar against sexual violence, reports the Independent.

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Además, quisiéramos aclarar que rechazamos categóricamente todos aquellos actos de discriminación a mujeres con hij-s, de homofobia y de transodio ocurridos en nuestras convocatorias. Nuestra invitación siempre ha sido y será para mujeres y disidencias, con lo cual buscamos generar un espacio seguro para todas y todes, y no permitiremos que estos actos violentos lo destruyan. A todas las personas que incitan al odio en nuestras publicaciones, nos desean entre otras cosas la violación y la muerte, les queremos decir que no les tenemos miedo. Ahora somos miles. A todos l-s políticos que han manifestado estar tan de acuerdo con nuestro discurso, ahora es su momento de pasar a la acción y ser consecuentes. Ya escucharon nuestras demandas y las de todo un país que lleva 48 días movilizado, ahora es el momento de actuar y rápido. Nosotras seguimos trabajando, seguimos resistiendo, les avisamos y les esperamos. En Chile se violan derechos humanos. Ahora más que nunca renuncia ministra Plá. Renuncia Piñera. Exigimos una Asamblea Constituyente paritaria y plurinacional Y QUE ARDA EL PATRIARCADO. *Video de LASTESIS, intervención en Valparaíso, viernes 29 de noviembre.

A post shared by colectivo LASTESIS (@lastesis) on Dec 5, 2019 at 11:46am PST

First performed in the port city of Valparaiso, thousands of women, dressed in black and wearing red scarves and blindfolds, mobbed the city’s national stadium to protest against sexual violence.

“The fault is not with me, nor where I was, nor how I was dressed… The rapist is you!” the women sang, stomping their feet and waving their arms in a choreographed routine. “Patriarchy is a judge who punishes us for being born and our punishment is violence that you don’t see,” went the rhythmic chant.

Watch the video here:

According to News 18, initially planned as a small part of a bigger artistic event about rape, LasTesis decided to release the performance early after complaints of police abuse of women emerged during a crackdown on recent social protests in Chile.

Since then, the song has been replicated hundreds of times around the globe, and videos of flashmob performances have gone viral. The LasTesis team was surprised that their protest anthem and its powerful message against macho violence were so quickly echoed in faraway places such as Paris, Barcelona and Mexico City.

With its far-reaching global impact, the song will now be performed in India as well. The Indian chapter of it — ‘A Rapist in Your Way Intervention India Chapter In Solidarity’, is scheduled to take place today. It calls for women to join the flash mob to be a part of the global movement. The song surely resonates with us, how about you?