‘The rapist is you’

SANTIAGO, Chile (AFP) — From quiet beginnings just a few weeks ago, “The Rapist is You!” — the creation of four performance artists from a Chilean feminist group — has turned into a mighty global roar against sexual violence.

The women from the group called “LasTesis” said they never imagined their protest anthem, and its powerful message against macho violence, would be so quickly and energetically echoed around the world.

First performed in the port city of Valparaiso on 20 November, in the space of a few weeks it has been replicated hundreds of times around the world, and videos of flashmob performances have gone viral.

Around 10,000 women of all ages from around Santiago, dressed in black and wearing red scarves and blindfolds, converged on the city’s national stadium Wednesday evening for the biggest such performance yet after a call-out on social media.

“The fault is not with me, nor where I was, nor how I was dressed… The rapist is you!” the women sang, stomping their feet and waving their arms in a choreographed routine being rapidly adopted around the world.