1.04.2004

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Our bodies, our lives, our rights" That was the main slogan for this years 8 march demonstration in Warsaw Poland. Around 0ne thousand participants joined and made this demonstration the biggest among all 8 march demonstration organised by "Porozumienie Kobiet" since 2000. This years "manifa" was koordinated by OSKA a women group resonable for networking. (see also www.oska.org.pl )

"Porozumienie Kobiet' means "Agreement of women". Most women organisations are a part of that agreement - From legalised organisation, women lobby's, women-rights organisations to anarcha-feminist groups. All together they choose a main slogan for each year. Beyond that every group can integrate themes which for them are the most important. Very present this year was the gay and lesbian rights issue. Gay & lesbian groups like Lambda and ILGN joined the organisation as well. That's very important because the women-rights movement should make clear that they won't separate the lesbian & gay movement and that queerness & different sexual orientations/behaviour in public spaces should be accepted as something natural.

Another issue of this years march was the anti war protest. It seems that almost all women organisations in "Porozumienie Kobiet" (no matter of their political background) don't agree with USA's imperialist politics. That means of course that they also don't agree with the politics of polish government supporting the invasion in Irak.

The whole march did stop In front of the president palace, where the "gender theatre group" and "Kukułeczki" theatre group made an antiwar performance. Arrived in the old town other performances about abortion, christianisation of the EU, homophobia did take place. At the end was a show of Warsaw's feminist hip-hop band Duldung singing except "manifa" a new antiwar song. . Of course during the whole manifestation Radical Cheerleaders did warm up the atmosphere. All together the manifestation was successful and had quit good publicity (especially before the 8 march there was a big media attention). The only maybe sad happening on the demonstrations path was a small, miserable looking rightwing protest of "Młodzież Wszechpolska". Luck for them, they had police protection, so they did get only some dirty snowballs in their faces.

jenni