The Real Black Friday

¨Black Friday.¨ That was the reply I got when I asked my students this past week if they knew which American holiday was about to be celebrated. Yup, consumerism is the only concept that spread. Obviously they wouldn't celebrate Thanksgiving here, but our specific Black Friday wouldn't exist without Thanksgiving to kick off the family holiday season. Regardless, this year the consumer's Black Friday fell on a truly dark date, November 25th, International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

During the month of November, throughout Santiago and the rest of Galicia, there has been an anti-violence campaign. ¨Contra a violencia.¨ Storefronts outfitted in black, with signs against gender violence. Respect my decisions. No means no, yes means yes. I'm not your master. I'm not your prince charming. Shopkeepers and waiters all wearing the same black, anti-violence t-shirt.

This campaign culminated on Friday. In the morning in the main Praza do Obradoiro, people gathered and received a t-shirt or umbrella with the contra a violencia logo. The mayor also read some astounding facts about gender violence. Like 1 in 4 victims doesn't report it due to fear. Or 1 in 4 women aged 16-19 suffers psychological abuse/control by her significant other. That is only the beginning, as we know. This year in Spain, 40 women have been murdered by their (ex) significant others.

Later that evening, there was an alternative protest organized by feminist groups in Santiago. I am bad at estimating, but I'd say there were at least 500 people. We marched through the old town, often filling the pedestrian-only streets. People stopped to watch us pass, and others joined. Some of my favorite chants were:

Non estamos todas! / Faltan as mortas!
(Some of us our missing! / The dead aren't here! *shiver*)
A noite e a rúa tamén son nosas!
(The night and the street are ours too!)

I'm not sure whether in Spain these crimes get more press than in the USA, or if they are actually more prevalent here. What's clear though is that gender violence has to stop. And hopefully campaigns like this--awareness in general-- will be what sparks that change.