On Monday 26 October, protestors gathered outside the Scottish Parliament to peacefully protest for funding.
Organised by Sisters Against Cuts, the reported 300 demonstrators demanded multi-year funding for the Women’s Service at Murray’s Initiative and funding for women’s services.
The protest follows from a protest in the previous week “shutting down the streets” in Glasgow, where an estimated 1,000 people took action.
Maryam Tariq, co-founder of Sisters Against Cuts, introduced each of the speakers representing dozens of community groups.
Ruby Zajac from The Flaps Project opened the protest with two songs.
Unions similarly drew on First Minister John Swinney’s declaration of violence against women and girls a national emergency, yet cutting funding for initiatives that protect women.
Murray’s Initiative was forced to appeal to the public in April to keep the Women’s Service open after a cut in funding.
Tariq referenced the Police Scotland controversy which listed that 70 per cent of police officers who have been suspended have been accused of offences related to violence against women:
“We are told to go to the police for support, but what’s happening just now with Police Scotland, with up to 45 Police Scotland officers being investigated for sexual violence? Absolute shame.
“On top of that, we’re seeing our services being cut. Cutting women’s services is a political decision. Absolutely a political decision. They almost come for the most vulnerable groups in society.
“What we’re seeing covered most by mainstream media are divisive rhetoric. Blame your neighbor. Blame the migrant. Blame the asylum seeker. Blame Muslims. Blame trans sisters. Right?
“We have to stand up for every single survivor. We say every survivor. We mean all of them.”
Protestors held signs reading “protect women’s rights: no silence on violence.”
Jade from Engender called on a number of recent female violence cases, highlighting the disparity in the media between conversation and changes made:
“The abuse suffered by Giselle Pelico at the hands of her husband and many other men was horrendous. The abuse suffered by Jane Doe at the hands of the Cornell Seven and a network of over 50 men was horrendous, but what is also horrendous is that these women are not unique.
“We are not a sensational headline. Physical, mental, financial, coercive, and racist abuse towards women is prevalent in Scotland, and we are not a sensationalist headline.”
The protest ended with a march down Canongate.
Tariq told The Student: “Women have fought too hard and for too long, enough is enough. Cuts kill and we refuse to watch services that save women’s lives be closed”.
A full list of supporters: Scottish Trade Union Congress Women’s Committee, Edinburgh Trades Council, UCU Edinburgh, Rape Crisis Scotland, Engender, Women Against the Far Right Scotland, Fire Brigades Union Scotland, NASUWT Scotland, Stop the War Scotland, Amnesty Feminist, Romano Lav, TIE Campaign, SAY Women, The Young Women’s Movement, Social Work Action Network, Green New Deal Rising, Cabaret Against the Hate Speech, We Are Here Scotland, The Flaps Project, Let’s Change The Act, RMT Scotland, South East Integration Network, Afghan Human Rights Foundation, Unite the Union, Unite Not For Profit, Friends of the Earth Scotland, Pass the Mic, Back Off Scotland, and Sisters Against Cuts.
Image by Cordelia Murray-Brown for The Student
