As pacifists and anti-militarists, we are enthused by the non-violent commitment adopted by this movement, in the camp-outs, as well as in the massive demonstrations. And not only in its formal aspects – peaceful resistance, goodwill, flowers as a symbol – but also by the respect accorded to others and the general ambiance, and with the fundamental conviction to not create enemies, facilitating dialogue with those who might be of another mind.
As activists, we cannot but feel pleasantly surprised by the echo that this new impulse, replete with freshness and imagination, has taken in our society and which has unfurled its ideas from the profound feeling of deception and alienation provoked by current politics.
Not only has it put into operation a horizontal system, which permits the participation of all persons equally, but the mass expression has been achieved through “words without voice” which are gestures, without discounting the option of declaring disagreements or differences.
Without grand ideologies, based on concrete things and expressing concrete solutions, it has been demonstrated in the plazas that society has other ways of expressing political action.
As feminists, we are somewhat ambivalent. On the on the one hand, we receive with pleasure certain attitudes that infrequently prevail, such as care in promoting an inclusive language (of gender, for the deaf, translation to other languages) and the search for respectful and non-offensive language. On the other hand, we are disappointed because of the little understanding of feminism and the rejection that this word provokes without any effort to fully understand its deep ramifications and significance. We regret and denounce the aggressions that women and women’s collectives that have participated in mobilizations have suffered, and we issue a call to procure reparation and dignity for them.
We have participated and will continue to participate in the initiatives that arise from popular assemblies of the neighborhoods, of the towns, of the camp-outs because we support the premises of this movement and we want to be in the streets with the people. We trust in the continuation and perseverance of actions that will being about a change, not only in parliamentary politics but also in the conscience of civil society.
We know that the process is not easy and that mistakes are possible. And since we know that we have defects, we will put all the more zeal into an effort to minimize them.
We want to maintain the plazas as a symbol of the expression of the people, like the agora where minds are opened by sharing ideas with others.
And, of course, we want to keep alive the memory of those beautiful liberated plazas and squares in which so many defenders of human rights have lost their lives throughout history.
Translation: Trisha Novak, USA