Men in hard hats paused from digging up Piccadilly to watch in stunned silence as the provocative procession marched past. They would not have dared to wolf whistle as women in stockings, bras and basques passed, clutching banners with statements like "cleavage is not consent". The women were among the up to 5, people organisers say took part in the UK's latest Slutwalk in London on Saturday.
The protest movement was sparked by a Canadian policeman who advised students to "avoid dressing like sluts" to avoid being victimised. Since then, thousands of people worldwide have taken to the streets to highlight a culture in which they say the victim, rather than the abuser, is blamed. Whether wearing four-inch heels with "slut" painted on their chests, or jeans and trainers, the marchers were united in their message.
Chants of "blame the rapist not the victim, doesn't matter what I'm dressed in" rang out above the roar of traffic. Some marchers said they knew victims of sex assaults, while others had experienced casual abuse from men who assumed their outfits made them fair game. There's an assumption it's flattering," Sophie Durham, 23, said. Some said women experience double standards in which they are under pressure to look sexy, but are also expected to live chaste lives.
Women call other women sluts," Philippa Dunjay, 23 said. While the march was sparked by attitudes across the Atlantic, marchers said recent comments on rape by Justice Secretary Ken Clarke plus the low conviction rate meant the issue was relevant in the UK. Mr Clarke was forced to apologise after appearing to suggest some rapes were not as serious as others during a BBC interview on sentencing.
Hannah McQuarrie, 25, said: "His comments were wrong. Any assault which invades someone's privacy or takes away the rights of their body is wrong. Gemma Bell, 35, said she once served on a jury in a rape trial in which the behaviour and dress of the victim was raised by the defence - a move which was just taken for granted at the time.
