"Who is ready to smash rape culture, and how are we going to do it?"
This was the question asked at the inaugural "Blame the System, not the Victim" march. Organized by the local activist group Feminist Uprising to End Inequality and Exploitation ( FURIE ), protestors took to the streets of downtown Chicago to call for an end to rape culture and sexual and gender violence.
"FURIE decided to organise this march today because rape culture has become a huge issue. We want to highlight it," said Georgette, an organizer and safety marshal. The march originated as an intersectional answer to the SlutWalk, she said. "There were a lot of open letters and criticisms from earlier SlutWalks about how more marginalized women didn't always feel safe… so we wanted to make an alternative to it."
It's a sentiment echoed by another organizer, who identified herself as Jaz, a trans woman of color. "Myself and a few other members of color of FURIE were very concerned at the white centricism of Slut Walk in the past, as well as the fact that it didn't engage with community organisations," she said. "We decided to take a different tone and a different route.
Protestors marched from the intersection of East Congress Parkway and South Michigan Avenue in Grant Park to Hull House, 800 S. Halsted St., chanting such phrases "Hey rapistsgo f*** yourselves!" and "Hey CPD, blame the rapists, don't blame me!" as two police cruisers trailed behind. Organizers expected about 200 people.
Before the march began, an "open speak" was held, allowing anyone who wished to address the crowd to talk. Around a dozen women spoke about their own experiences, ranging from gang rape to molestation.
"To see some people that say that rape culture isn't real, that it's not something that it's important," said a woman who identified herself as Farina. "Or they just say, 'It's those feminists.' No, you're way out of line. If you think that, you're part of the problem."