Today, in the spirit of Human Right’s Week, Rhodes University's sixth annual Silent Protest will see over 1 400 people gagging themselves with black tape and wearing slogan T-shirts showing solidarity with sexual abuse survivors.
Today, in the spirit of Human Right’s Week, Rhodes University's sixth annual Silent Protest will see over 1 400 people gagging themselves with black tape and wearing slogan T-shirts showing solidarity with sexual abuse survivors.
During a press conference at the university's Bantu Stephen Biko Building on Tuesday, anti-rape activist Michelle Solomon drew public attention to sexual abuse and encouraged both students and the community to support the campaign and those participating in it on Friday.
Solomon explained that the protest aims to take a stand against the alarming statistic that, “only one in 20 rape survivors will report their rape for fear of social stigma and secondary victimisation by the South African judicial system”.
For Friday's protest the Rhodes campus and streets of Grahamstown will be dotted with protesters wearing purple T-shirts, and many will have black tape covering their mouths for most of the day. They're expected not to eat, speak or drink for 12 hours to symbolise their unity with women who are silenced by rape.
There are five different kinds of shirts that signify various kinds of involvement during the day. Some women will wear shirts emblazoned with, “sexual violence causes silence”, which will also be available in isiXhosa and others will wear shirts saying, “rape survivor” on the front.
Those who cannot tape their mouths due to health issues, as well as men, will be wearing a shirt saying, “STOP violence against women. The power of change is in our hands.”
Solomon said that “the dignity of a [rape]survivor is paramount and people should respect the survivor’s privacy and confidentiality”. She urged journalists and community members to be sensitive to those participating in the campaign today.
The protest begins at 6am with the T-shirt distribution at the Alec Mullins Hall on campus and it will end at around 8.30pm at the Cathedral of St Michael and St George with the “Take Back the Night” march.
