Saturday, January 26, 2013

Nude activists protest SEXISM in Davos

FEMEN.org/en; Associated Press, Jan. 26, 2013; Wisdom Quarterly

DAVOS, Switzerland - Three women angry over sexism and male domination of the world economy ripped off their shirts and tried to force their way into a gathering of corporate elites in a Swiss resort.

They failed [to get in but still managed to get worldwide press for the cause]. The ubiquitous and huge security force policing the World Economic Forum in Davos carried the women away, kicking and screaming.

The women, from the Ukrainian feminist activist group FEMEN (WARNING: nudity, extremism!), scaled a fence and set off pink flares in the protest Saturday. Their chests were painted "SOS Davos," as they sought to call attention to the poverty of women around the world.

Critics of the Davos forum say business and political leaders at the gathering spend too little time doing concrete things to solve the world's problems and help the needy.

COMMENTARY
Wisdom Quarterly
Are these peaceful protesters going too far, or is this just far enough given recent events in India (and throughout the world on a regular basis)? Maybe it's still not far enough. If toplessness is what it takes to bring attention to crime, neglect, and systematic bias aimed at women, how could we be anything but for it? We all do what we can to bring greater fairness and equality to the world, more enlightenment and compassion, more connection and awareness. Who is beset by remorse worse than those who did nothing? Living beings are more alike than different. And until there is a change of lineage, we are in the same boat.
PHOTOS: 1. Swiss police arrest activists from the Women's Movement FEMEN outside congress centrum at the 43rd Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, WEF, in Davos, Switzerland, Sat., Jan. 26, 2013 (AP/Anja Niedringhaus); 2. an activist of the Ukrainian feminist group FEMEN stands on a fence during WEF protest, Jan. 26, 2013 (AP/Keystone/Jean-Christophe Bott)3. FEMEN (silviabiasutti).

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