We won’t smile for your approval. We won’t conform to your idea of gender. We won’t talk a certain way to be taken seriously. We are on the streets and they belong to us, all day and all night. Save the date and join us.
sassy. rude. and fucking pissed.
We need to live, breathe, love, desire, have fun, riot, enjoy, be happy. Radical (queer) feminist spaces offer an opportunity to draw strength, to continue our struggles and to dream. They pave the way to a utopia in which we no longer have to fight for our safety.
But despite these spaces, we perceive the (queer) feminist scene in Leipzig as fragmented. We often feel left alone by and within it. Especially when we want more than just to consume.
Where are the moments when we feel strong together? Moments of community and solidarity.
When we experience or witness patriarchal violence, we often lack the energy and support to fight against it. Isolation robs us of the strength we need. Let’s fight for our strength and against this exhausting lonelieness.
We want to kiss the quiet night goodbye, together with it’s illusion of rest, calmness and safety.
We don’t experience rest, calmness and safety.
We have to walk the other way, stay where street lamps will hopefully protect us and be lucky to arrive safely.
Some have bodies that are being catcalled, others have bodies that are considered dangerous. When some of us kiss in public, people find us disgusting. Some of us are accused of seducing children or forcing sexuality upon them. Some of our bodies are criminalized. We are not allowed to freely dispose of our bodies – neither to earn necessary money nor to seek medical care. There should be no non-binary bodies. Some of our bodies should not be considered beautiful. It is frowned upon to have a large body. Some of our bodies can’t be out at night or during the day – because they don’t have money for cabs, because they can’t walk long distances or because there isn’t a traffic light system that works for them. We’re not allowed to be feminine, not allowed to be flamboyant, not allowed to be loud, not allowed to go home in peace.
We are not allowed to feel safe!
It becomes clear that we all have different experiences. We all have our own story.
Nevertheless, we have something in common. We are fed up with all this violence. Patriarchy sucks and so do all other forms of oppression that are linked to it.
This night should allow us to regain our strength and show that we stand together and are strong. Our grief unites us, our anger gives us the strength to fight back and to make this crappiness go up in smoke. The noise of our voices will break the silent night and accompany us beyond the evening. For all the battles we’ll have to fight. When they say we are disgusting, we are disgusting. When they say we are dangerous, we are dangerous. The night shall be ours. Take Back the Night – Take Back the Streets!
The rally and demonstration are open to people of all genders. We all experience patriarchal oppression in various forms, but the cause is the same. In order to achieve our utopia, we call on people to join forces. Affected people are not always recognizable from the outside. We want to prevent people from being categorized and excluded based on an external perspective.
More information on barriers as well as the demo route will follow soon.
We will set up a way to send us feedback.
About the rally
We want to start with a rally at 18:30. It will take place at the Jahrtausendfeld on Karl-Heine-Straße. We’ll hear speeches, some music and, if possible, there will be something to eat. The speeches will be printed out in German and English. We want to gather here, listen to each other and be visible. An awareness team will also be on hand and available if needed.
About the demonstration
From 20:00 we want to get ready to walk into the sunset together as a demonstration. The demonstration is registered. There will be no speaker van as we want to let our voices be all anyone hears. We want to be loud and angry and take the night and the streets. We want to walk briskly and dynamically. There will be a photographer. We will also be accompanied by paramedics. Nothing and nobody should intimidate us on this evening. The route can be walked in about 1 hour. However, we may need longer. Please make sure that bicycles are not part of the demonstration.
To the people living along the route: we’re looking forward to moments of solidarity and empowering messages.
We are all affected by patriarchal violence in different ways. At the same time, we have all learned to practice it and are constantly reproducing it. If people have been confronted with accusations and refuse to participate in a process of Community Accountability, or if they are told by those affected that this is not their space, we expect them to stay at home.
Please do not bring any flags from parties, groups or national states.