Time's Up demo, 21.1.18, photo by Tower Hamlets SP (Click to enlarge)

Women rally defiantly in London

Socialist Party members attended the Time's Up demo at Downing Street on Sunday 21st January. Amalia, a member of Tower Hamlets Socialist Party, wrote the following report.

Over 1,000 women, of all ages and backgrounds but mainly many young women, defied the cold, the rain and the snow and joined this event.

We ran out of leaflets and received many joining cards [to join the Socialist Party] from women who are angry and frustrated with sexual harassment and sexism but also see how these issues link up with the fight against austerity and the profit driven capitalist system.

Socialist Party stall at the Time's Up demo, 21.1.18, photo by Tower Hamlets SP (Click to enlarge)

The massive 'Women marches' a year ago in the US against Trump quickly became a mass political manifestation against his reactionary agenda.

Time's Up demo, 21.1.18, London, photo Tower Hamlets SP (Click to enlarge)

All around the world, including in London, this mood was reflected by the many thousands of women protesting against sexism and misogyny.

The mass participation of women in #metoo shows how big the problem is. But it has also boosted further women's confidence to fight back.

Many of these women understand that this struggle isn't separate from other struggles against the system.

That cuts and austerity affect women in so many specific ways. That we still need to fight for our right not to be harassed, for equal pay, for decent public services.

That in order to truly fight against oppression we need to fight for a different society and get rid of this profit driven system that thrives on keeping us divided.

This version of this article was first posted on the Socialist Party website on 22 January 2018 and may vary slightly from the version subsequently printed in The Socialist.

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