Saturday, April 13, 2013

Three women from the Ukrainian feminist group Femen attempt to disrupt former premier Silvio Berlusconi as he votes in the Italian elections on Sunday.

Three women from the Ukrainian feminist group Femen attempt to disrupt former premier Silvio Berlusconi as he votes in the Italian elections on Sunday. The activists pull off their sweaters to bare their breasts and display the slogan - enough of Silvio - written on their bodies in Italian, as Berlusconi enters a polling station in Milan



FEMEN 

FEMEN France is the French branch of FEMEN. After cutting down a crucifix near Maidan Nezalezhnosti in Kiev in August 2012, Inna Shevchenko left the country and went to Paris to set up FEMEN France, a training center for activists 
The international training center opened on 18 September 2012

Goals and stances

The goals of the organization are "to shake women in Ukraine, making them socially active; to organize in 2017 a women's revolution." It describes itself as "radical feminism".

 FEMEN has pledged to fight the sex industry, the Church and its traditionalist stances against women (such as prohibition of abortion), and "patriarchal society," as well as those who oppose equal rights for the LGBT community.

FEMEN has expressed opposition against Islamism, "Sharia law" and spoken against the practice of FGM.

The organization claims "to unite young women basing on the principles of social awareness and activism, intellectual and cultural development" to "recognise the European values of freedom, equality and comprehensive development of a person irrespective of the gender" and "To build up the image of Ukraine, the country with great opportunities for women".

On its official website FEMEN states: "FEMEN – is sextremism serving to protect women's rights, democracy watchdogs attacking patriarchy, in all its forms: the dictatorship, the church, the sex industry".

Femen protest against EURO 2012

Founder Anna Hutsol is adamantly opposed to legalizing prostitution in Ukraine and advocates for criminalization of prostitution abroad.[60] In late May 2009, FEMEN proposed the introduction of criminal responsibility for the use of sex industry services.

FEMEN protested against what they argued were moves being made by the Ukrainian government to legalize prostitution during the EURO 2012 championships.

The group asked UEFA and the Ukrainian government to create a social program devoted to the problem of sex tourism and prostitution in Ukraine; to inform football fans that prostitution is illegal in Ukraine; and to take additional steps to fight against prostitution and sex tourism.

As a counter-act Polish prostitutes held their own nude demonstration (in masks) with the catchphrase "Femen! Get the fuck out of our business".

FEMEN has also protested against alleged anti-Ukrainian policies by the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian President and Government of Russia.

 It also demanded "independence for the Ukrainian church".

The group has taken left-wing stances on economic policy, calling for redistribution.

In December 2012 FEMEN "warned" the European Union "to stop immediately political, economic and cultural contacts with Gazprom-Kremlin's dictatorship"; because "dependence on Nord Stream will bring Europe to an economic collapse and the abolition of visas requirements for Russians threatens Europe with a cultural Armageddon".

Femen has expressed both support for and opposition against various public figures and organizations; for example, the group lauded Pussy Riot and collaborated with Aliaa Elmahdy.

Despite Femen's objection to the sex industry, the group has fought against the prosecution of Anastasia Grishay by the Ukrainian government on grounds of her involvement in pornography.According to Hutsol (founder of Femen) "The Femen movement stands for women-related policies, not women in politics".

 FEMEN's leadership has very low expectations of all current mainstream Ukrainian politicians.

The group has stated it has enjoyed limited success in pushing its agenda.A (February 2013) editorial on Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty by Joanna Rohozinska stated "A survey of their protests fails to provide much insight into what the concrete goals are".

 Protests against religious institutions

 Examples of FEMEN protests against religious institutions are:
  •  In November 2011, FEMEN activist Aleksandra Shevchenko started stripping and waving a banner stating "Freedom for women" after Pope Benedict XVI's Sunday sermon at Saint Peter's Square at the Holy See. Shevchenko and her associates were immediately captured by the Italian Police.
  •  In April 2012, five FEMEN activists protested legislation that would halt abortions in Ukraine by staging a pro-choice demonstration at the belfry of Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kiev, ringing the church bells while doing so. They were detained by police.
  •  On 26 July 2012, a topless FEMEN activist, Yana Zhdanova, attacked the Patriarch of Moscow and all the Rus', Kirill I of Moscow, while he was visiting Ukraine. Zhdanova had the words "Kill Kirill" painted on her back and screamed "Get Out!" to the Orthodox Christian leader. She was sentenced to prison for fifteen days for her actions.
  •  The organization staged a topless protest at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London in opposition to "bloody Islamist regimes", which they accuse the IOC of supporting. The protest included women in the clothing of Muslim men as well as signs stating "No Sharia".
  • On 17 August 2012, Inna Shevchenko and two other FEMEN activists cut down a crucifix near Maidan Nezalezhnosti in Kiev to show support for the group Pussy Riot, which was to be sentenced later that day.The cross was erected in 2005 and served as a memorial to the victims of Stalinist repression. The action attracted mixed responses. A criminal case was opened against FEMEN under "Part 2 of Article 296 (hooliganism) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine".FEMEN claimed that after the incident, special forces troops from the Ministry of Internal Affairs organized a blockade around FEMEN's headquarters in Kiev. On 18 August 2012 a new Christian cross was erected at the same site.

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