A Rapist in Your Path

"A Rapist in Your Path" (Spanish: Un violador en tu camino), also known as "The Rapist Is You",[1] is a Chilean feminist performance piece protesting violence against women.[2][3] It has been performed in Latin America, the United States, and Europe.[4] The name of the performance is a reference to the slogan Un amigo en tu camino (lit. A Friend Along Your Path) used by Carabineros de Chile in the 1990s.[5][6]

Women performing "A Rapist in Your Path" in Alameda Central

Based on the work of Rita Segato,[5][7] the piece was created by the Valparaíso feminist collective Las Tesis.[8] It was performed for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November 2019.[8] Videos of the performance went viral, spreading across the world.[7] Similar performances took place in Mexico, Colombia, France, Spain, and the United Kingdom.[7] Thousands of women performed the piece at the Zócalo, Mexico City's main square, on 29 November 2019.[9]

As it was performed in Istanbul, Turkey on December 8, 2019, the police interfered and detained several of the dancing protestors.[10] A few days later, female Turkish MPs sang the song in Turkish parliament. The MP Sera Kadigil from Republican People's Party spoke directly to the Minister of the Interior Süleyman Soylu declaring that "Thanks to you, Turkey is the only country in which you must have (parliamentary) immunity to participate in this protest."[11]

The use of eye bandages in the performance is a reference to the victims of eye injury in the 2019–2020 Chilean protests.[12]

References
  1. Abramovich, Paulina (December 6, 2019). "'The rapist is you': Chile anthem against sexual violence goes viral". ABS-CBNnews.com. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  2. Cvorak, Monika (December 6, 2019). "'A rapist in your path': Chilean protest song becomes feminist anthem – video". The Guardian. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  3. Newman, Lucia (December 5, 2019). "'A Rapist in Your Path': Chile's women protest abuse". Al Jazeera. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  4. Orsi, Peter; Verza, María (December 7, 2019). "Male video takes on viral feminist anthem stir ire in Mexico". Associated Press. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  5. Gómez Ruiz, Lara (December 6, 2019). "'Un violador en tu camino', la canción chilena que ya es un himno feminista mundial". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  6. Vega, Matías (April 9, 2019). "Adiós a "Un amigo siempre": Carabineros cambiará lema institucional después de casi 20 años". Radio Bío-Bío. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
  7. McGowan, Charis (December 6, 2019). "Chilean anti-rape anthem becomes international feminist phenomenon". The Guardian. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  8. Larsson, Naomi (December 8, 2019). "'The rapist is you': Inside the women-led protest against sexual assault in Chile". The Independent. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  9. Pierson, Carli (December 2, 2019). "'The rapist is you' is the new feminist battle hymn emanating from Central and South America". The Independent. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  10. "Women detained in Turkey for replicating Chilean "Las Tesis" protest anthem". IPA News. December 9, 2019. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  11. "Turkey's women lawmakers stage Las Tesis 'rapist is you' protest". Deutsche Welle. December 15, 2019. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  12. "Santa Fe gritará "El violador eres tú", la canción feminista chilena que se volvió viral en el mundo". Aire de Santa Fe (in Spanish). December 2, 2019. Retrieved June 29, 2020.

Further reading
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