Hundreds take part in Jerusalem SlutWalk against sexual violence

Some 600 demonstrators marched through downtown Jerusalem on Friday for the city’s seventh annual SlutWalk protesting rape culture.

The protesters, mainly young women in their teens and twenties, paraded in various states of undress to make the point that women should be able to wear whatever they want without being sexually harassed.

They carried hand-made signs and shouted slogans such as, “Don’t Rape,” “No means no,” and “Don’t tell us how to dress, tell men not to rape!!!”

The protesters gathered at Davidka Square at 11 a.m. and at noon began walking down Jaffa Street, where they were greeted by generally smiling if bemused onlookers.

In marked contrast to liberal Tel Aviv, where a similar parade was held last month, Jerusalem is a conservative city, with large numbers of religious communities ranging from Orthodox Jews to Muslims.

A SlutWalk is a protest against those who explain or excuse rape based on a woman’s attire or appearance. The first such protest took place in Toronto, Canada in April 2011, in response to a police officer’s suggesting that “women should avoid dressing like sluts” in order to avoid being raped.

Since then, SlutWalks have taken place in cities around the world and have broadened their protest scope to include all types of sexual assault and harassment, as well as the prevalence of victim blaming.