Parisian Protesters Demand Stricter Laws to Combat Femicide

Over 1,000 protesters marched through Paris’s streets demand the government adopt stricter measures to prevent femicides and domestic abuse across the nation.

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“We are calling on the interior minister to convene all the regional prefects and make sure that no woman will ever walk into a police station and have someone reject her request to file a complaint,” said a protest organizer, Caroline De Haas.

Yelling “Enough” and carrying signs reading “Stop femicides” and “The planet needs women alive,” the crowd took to the Place de la Republique as part of the demonstration organized by various women’s rights NGOs to protest France's increasing rate of femicides, the killing of a woman by a man because of her gender.

During the demonstrations, those present observed 74 seconds of silence in tribute to the 74 women killed in France so far this year, according to data collected by Facebook group “Femicides par compagnons ou ex” (Femicides by partners or exes). The org says four of the victims were killed this week.

“It’s a massacre,” Julie Gayet, a French actress and partner of former French President Francois Hollande at the protest. “We need to raise awareness on what’s happening today, which means that despite society’s evolution, there’s a step backward, and even more women are dying today.”

Taking to Twitter, French Gender Equality Minister Marlene Schiappa said she supported the demonstration.

“I share the anger of victims and their relatives and reiterate my support to this struggle and the government’s determination,” tweeted the official.

According to Interior Ministry figures, 130 women were allegedly killed in 2017 by their husband or partner, up from 123 in 2016.