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The Advocacy Project seeks to help community-based advocates produce, disseminate and use information, and so become more effective advocates for human rights and social justice.

Women's Peace March and Street Performance Forbidden, March 7, 2008

Public Announcement
In honor of March 8

Women in Black’s protest has been cancelled because the Ministry of Internal Affairs has forbidden the street performance ‘100 Years of the Struggle’ and the planned women’s peace march in honor of March 8, International Women’s Day.  The official explanation given for the ban was:  “It would disturb public traffic, endanger the public health and security, and endanger public property.”  This ban was given even though Women in Black had properly registered for the street performance and women’s peace march before the necessary legal deadline. 

We think that this type of reasoning allows the state to carry out an attack on our basic civil rights:  the right to public gathering and the right to free movement.  In this way the state produces fear and insecurity, and creates a climate akin to a state of emergency.  We believe the ban is an attack on the extremely fragile democratic and civil society, especially upon women’s rights.

On the hundredth anniversary of March 8, all throughout the world, in countries with extreme dictatorial regimes, women go on the street and fight for their rights, and for us, in the heart of Europe, it is forbidden.  This decision demonstrates that currently Serbia is in a low intensity war and the primary target of the attacks are those who are different, especially those who call for a break from the criminal political regime and demand an accountability for the war and the war crimes committed in our name. 

In the future, we will continue our work using all nonviolent means possible to continue to support and advocate for democracy, civil freedoms, and human rights. 

Contact persons:
Marija Perković 064 14 42 437
Staša Zajović 063 846 7777

Women in Black, Belgrade
Women in Black Serbia Network
Belgrade, March 7, 2008      

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