While the police explains.
Halloween was because it had been named as an international day of action by women against rape, because witches are a potent symbol of women's power.
Soho was the target because of the large number of porn shops and the high level of harassment of women in the alca.
Pornography - in showing WORCH objects - encourages men to see women as their property. availableto them whenever and however they want.
INSULTING In fact the violence started at the first porn shop that the women came to.
The new Swedish Cinema in Brewer Street, displaying typically insulting grading images of women, enraged the demonstrators. Incy nanted to deface pictures stickers SIOLARS One of the staff then rushed out with a stool When ne brought down over a woman's head. She crumpled bleeding to the ground.
From then on the violence escalated. The same threatened the women a nammer WOMEN who gathered in Soho on Halloween (31 October) to 'reclaim the night" for women intimidated off the streets were met with even greater violence.
-broke up the demonstration by attacking them with truncheons, another woman on a nearby street was brutally beaten.
Women clearly cannot rely on the cops to protect them from street violence, as JUDE WOODWARD chosen Then some police arrived.
Their response: to attack and seize women haphazardly. and TRUNCHEONS Women were hit over the head, breasts and in the small the back reinforcements lashed out at random with their wooden truncheons.
Five women had to réceive SexUal hospital treatment for head and face injuries, and others were DaGLY DrUISeE A total of 15 women were arrested for threatening behaviour, assaulting a police officer, and other charges.
While some of them were waiting in the police station, another woman in. Nothing at all to do with the de- demonstration — she was badly bruisco and beaten up, as tne result of a Soho street attack.
Where were the police wher and this was happening?
INTEREST The police have never shown much interest women out night.
man woman is out at night without a asking for whatever she gets. women's Until the labour movement acts to change these attitudes, Sola women Cac corol DOnCC help if they are attacked and are not seen as easy targets toI degrading assaults, rely on no-one but themselves The establishment of local rape crisis centres; emphasis on self-defence, insisting that it is taught to girls national press so that women DOSLEUCLOR objects and so that rape is not sensationalised attractive — these are all ways of starting to change the was brought SITUATIOn For as reclaim ine nignt demonstration in Brighton "Whatever we wear, wnerever we go, yes means yes and no * The Keclaim defence committee is anxious to hear protecting witnessed or photographed the The events on Halloween. statemens. dresses should be sent to:
Woman's Place, St., London WC2.
they can in schools: One of the women attacked on the march, showing her head injuries. Eyes are blacked out at her request lin