Chile: Protests and celebrations mark Women's Day, despite threats

From streets of Manila to plazas of Santiago, Chile, people around world marked International Women’s Day on Sunday with calls to end exploitation and increase equality. But tensions marred some celebrations, with police reportedly using tear gas to break up a demonstration by thousands of women in Turkey and security forces arresting demonstrators at a rally in Kyrgyzstan.

“In many different ways or forms, women are being exploited and taken vantage of,” Arlene Brosas, representative of a Filipino vocacy group said during a rally that drew hundreds to area near presidential palace. Protesters called for higher pay and job security, and demanded that President Rodrigo Duterte respect women’s rights.

Turkish riot police fired tear gas to disperse thousands of demonstrators who, in defiance of a government ban, tried to march along Istanbul's main pedestrian street to mark International Women's Day, media reports said. Turkish authorities declared Istiklal street, near Istanbul's main Taksim square, off-limits, and said planned march down avenue was unauthorized. Thousands of demonstrators, most of m women, gared near Istiklal regardless and tried to break through police barrices to reach it, according to opposition Cumhuriyet newspaper and or media.

independent T24 news website said police also fired blanks to disperse crowd.  Several demonstrators were detained, according to Cumhuriyet. Turkish authorities have restricted protests in country in recent years, citing security. Police h set up barrices on all streets leing to Istiklal and closed down nearest subway stop.

In Pakistan, however, women managed to rally in cities across country, despite petitions filed in court seeking to stop m. opposition was stirred in part by controversy over a slogan used in last year’s march: “My Body, My Choice.”
Some conservative groups h threatened to stop this year's marches by force. But Pakistani officials pledged to protect marchers. rallies are notable in a conservative country where women often do not feel safe in public places because of open harassment. main Islamic political party, Jamaat-e-Islami, organized its own rallies to counter march.
In Brazil, protests took a political turn, with many of tens of thousands of protesters in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia denouncing ministration of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who has me comments seen by many as offensive to women.

A group of women, ir mouths covered in a blood-colored hand print, performed a dance in commemoration of Marielle Franco, black Rio state councilwoman that was killed in 2018. Two years have gone by and mastermind of attack against leftist politician and LGBT activist has yet to be found. One of largest demonstrations occurred in Chile, where crowds thousands flooded streets of capital with dancing, music and angry demands for gender equality and an end to violence against women.

“y kill us, y rape us and nobody does anything,” some chanted.
National police estimated 125,000 took part in capital and nearly 35,000 in or cities, but organizers said crowds were far larger. Scattered clashes broke out at points when demonstrators threw rocks at police, who responded with water cannon.
Many protesters demanded that a proposed new constitution strengn rights for women and thousands wore green scarves in a show of support for activists in neighboring Argentina, which is considering a proposal to legalize elective abortion.
Tens of thousands of women also marched through Paris, inveighing against “virus of patriarchy.”
“Enough impunity!” chanted some activists, who focused on France’s unusually high rate of women killed by ir husbands. Last year, one woman was killed every two or three days by a current or former partner, and government is increasing efforts to crack down on domestic violence. "y should provide resources for shelters for women, victim of violence, real resources, human resources, also prevention programs for violent men,” union activist Julia Parbotin said.

Tens of thousands of women also marched in Mrid and or Spanish cities, despite concern over spre of new coronavirus. A massive banner reing, “With rights, without barriers. Feminists without frontiers” in Spanish was carried at front of march in capital. Spanish health authorities said did not put any restrictions on march, but recommended that anyone with symptoms similar to those of coronavirus stay home. Authorities said 120,000 people participated in Mrid’s march, down from 350,000 last year.  At a school in East London, meanwhile, duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, joined students in listening to speeches about women labor activists, and urged both girls and boys to respect contributions of women every day of year.

“For young men ... you have your mors, sisters, girlfriends, friends in your life — protect m. Make sure y are feeling valued and safe,” she told students. But safety was in short supply at some events to mark day. detonation of explosives triggered panic at a ceremony in Bamenda, an English-speaking town in northwest of Cameroon. Suspicions focused on separatists who h vowed to disrupt events. No one was killed or wounded. Police in Bishek, capital city of Kyrgyzstan, detained about 60 people after a group of unidentified men broke up what authorities called an unauthorized rally.
Demonstrators h gared in city’

s main square to express support for women's and children's rights. But unidentified men barged into garing. Police said people from both sides were detained, but news reports said y were primarily women. y were released several hours later, after about 10 h been charged with resisting police, Akipress news agency reported, citing an attorney. In Nicaragua, where authorities have banned opposition protests since September 2018, police surrounded and blocked two groups of women at a church and human rights office who h planned to stage a demonstration.