Lorraine Williamson
Nearly forty marches will take place throughout Spain today, March 8 for International Women’s Day. Throughout the country, women in particular are taking to the streets in various cities. Women who work, women who don’t work; the Revuelta Feminista.
The general motto on International Women’s Day in Spain this year is ‘Get moving with the M for ‘mujer’ (woman). In Spanish: ‘Muévete, con M de mujer’. Some organisations also use their own slogan, or link the meeting to another protest.
Demonstrations in Madrid
In Madrid, the 8M Commission and the Feminist Movement of Madrid have called for demonstrations at 7.00 pm. The march of the Feminist Movement starts from Cibeles to Plaza de España. ‘Prostitution is not a job, abolish it now!’, is their slogan. In addition, the 8M committee will start in Atocha. The latter is attended by the Minister of Equality, Ana Redondo, and other officials from her ministry and members of the PSOE. In addition, the second vice president of the government, Yolanda Díaz; the Minister of Youth and Children, Sira Rego, and the Minister of Health, Mónica García. The former Minister of Equality, Irene Montero, and the spokesperson of Unidas Podemos in Congress, Ione Belarra, will also be present.
Castilla y León
In Castilla y León, the march in Valladolid will take place at 8.00 pm in the centre of the city. The slogan is ‘Feminism embraces everyone’. Other feminist organisations will also participate in the march and focus their slogans on the abolition of prostitution and against pornography.
In Salamanca, the Feminist Movement has called for a march at 7.00 pm, starting in the Plaza de la Concordia and ending in the Plaza Mayor. In León, the Feminist Movement starts at 6.30 pm with the slogan “Women, peace, abolition.” At 7.00 pm, the march of the 8M commission will start from the Plaza de Guzmán.
Manifestations in Murcia
Two demonstrations are taking place in Murcia, one by the Feminist Assembly of the Region of Murcia and the Feminist Movement and the other by RadFem. The first one starts at 7.00 pm, the second one will leave half an hour later.
Cantabria
In Cantabria, the march of the Asambleas Feministas Abiertas de Cantabria (Open Feminist Assemblies of Cantabria) will start at 7.00 pm from Puertochico to Santander City Hall.
Students also take to the streets in Catalonia
In Catalonia, the Student Union started at 12 noon in Barcelona at the Plaza de la Universidad and in Tarragona from Plaza Imperial Tarraco. In addition, a demonstration is planned in Barcelona, called by La Assemblea 8M at 6.30 pm.
Asturias
In Asturias, the largest demonstration will take place in Langreo, where the Asturian feminist movement will end at 7.00 pm from the Antonio García Lago Park in the Dorado Park. Students gathered in the morning at 12 noon in Gijón in the Plaza del Parchís and in Oviedo in the Plaza de la Escandalera.
Three demonstrations in Galicia
Three major demonstrations will take place in Galicia, in La Coruña, Santiago de Compostela and Vigo. The Galician Feminist Platform (PFG) has called for demonstrations in La Coruña and in Santiago de Compostela, both at 8.00 pm. In Vigo, Feminismo Unitario Vigo has called for a demonstration at 8.00 pm.
International Women’s Day in the Islands
In Palma de Mallorca, just like last year, two demonstrations will take place. On one side, the Coordinadora Transfeminista de Mallorca will march and on the other, the Movimiento Feminista de Mallorca (MFM), both at 7.00 pm from different parts of the city. In Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, a march organised by Red Feminista will depart from San Telmo Park also at 7.00 pm.
Manifestations in Andalucia
In Andalucia, two demonstrations are organised in the city of Cádiz. In Seville there were trade union demonstrations by the UGT and the CCOO in the morning. At 8.00 pm, the Feminist Movement of Seville will demonstrate. The Colectivo Mujeres Supervivientes (Women Survivors Collective) departed at 6.00 pm from the Pelli Tower. They are also protesting against the Palestinian genocide.
The collective Feminists 8M and the Commission for Equality and Against Gender Violence demonstrate together in Jaén. That was at 5.30 pm. They do this under the motto ‘Visible feminism, invincible women’.
In Málaga, the Coordinadora 8 de Marzo Malaga will depart at 7.00 pm from the Plaza de la Merced under the motto ‘Women demand realities, not promises or excuses’. Huelva also demonstrates, from 7.00 pm in the Isla Chica district of the capital.
In Granada, the Plataforma 8M/25N and the Espacio Feminismo Unitario have called for a demonstration. Start was at 6.00 pm, start from the Plaza del Triunfo.
Region of Valencia
In Valencia, the Assemblea Feminista de València called for an “anti-capitalist and anti-colonial” demonstration at 5.30 pm. In addition, the Coordinadora Feminista de València (Feminist Coordination Committee of Valencia) departs from Porta de la Mar.
Basque Country
In the Basque Country, students held a meeting at 12 noon in Bilbao (Plaza de Arriaga), San Sebastian (Boulevard) and Vitoria-Gasteiz (Virgen Blanca). The Feminist Movement of the Basque Country departs at 7.00 pm, from the Sagrado Corazón. In Vitoria-Gasteiz the march was at 6.00 pm, San Sebastián will take to the streets at 6.30 pm.
Marches in Navarre, Aragon and Castilla la Mancha
In Navarre, the Feminist Movement of Euskal Herria has called for a demonstration in Pamplona, starting at 7.00 pm from Antoniutti Park.
In Zaragoza, the organisation Paraguas Feminista has called for a march on International Women’s Day. Slogan is ‘A feminist umbrella that we all fit into’. Departure is at 7.00 pm. At 6.30 pm, a march of the Coordinadora de Organización Feminista will start. Finally, there will be two marches in Toledo. The first at 7.00 pm from Plaza Zocodover and the second at 6.15 pm from La Vega.