2003: Hitler, Mussolini, Sharon, Milošević, Bush, Saddam… 'It is no coincidence: they are all men'
Signed by: Women Meeting at the Peace Point
In 2003, women from the Mor Çatı Women's Shelter Foundation and the Women's Solidarity Foundation (KADAV) proposed a march from Taksim Square to Mis Street on March 8.
At the time, anti-war demonstrations were taking place across Turkey and around the world. Following the attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, the US administration had decided to attack Iraq, claiming that Saddam Hussein's regime possessed weapons of mass destruction that threatened US security. Opponents of the war argued that this attack would amount to an occupation. One of their actions in Turkey was 'One Minute of Darkness for Peace', launched at the Peace Initiative's call on February 15 and held every day at 8 pm. People took part both from their homes and by gathering in squares to raise their voices against war. Mis Street in Beyoğlu was one of these gathering places.
War was central to March 8, 2003. A group of women from Mor Çatı and KADAV called a meeting on March 5 to organise the lights-out protest in Mis Street on March 8 as women. The invitation, sent to the kadinkurultayi@yahoogroups.com email group, also proposed marching from Taksim to Mis Street beforehand. Most participants were independent feminists, but some were women working on women's politics within mixed-gender groups. Whatever their affiliations, each woman represented only herself at the meeting. They agreed that the demonstration should highlight the patriarchal character of war and women's opposition to it. Placards prepared together at the organising meetings would be carried from Taksim to Mis Street, without the signatures of any organisation or platform. Participants also decided to carry photographs of Hitler, Mussolini, Sharon, Milošević, Bush and Saddam bearing the slogan 'It is no coincidence: they are all men'. A photograph of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher with a moustache was included to show that women, too, could commit war crimes. The meeting also agreed to continue anti-war actions after March 8.
Around a hundred people took part in an enthusiastic demonstration. 'Kadınlar Vardır' [Women Exist] was sung together many times. Alongside photographs of heads of state bearing the words 'It is no coincidence: they are all men', participants carried other anti-war placards. As in the 'One Minute of Darkness for Peace' actions held since February 15, candles were carried during the march. Afterwards, the press statement was read, and at 8 pm participants made noise with whistles, drums and other instruments. The demonstration did not use the signature 'feminists'; no banner was carried, feminism was not named in the placards or slogans, and the event ended by joining the anti-war protesters' daily 'One Minute of Darkness for Peace' action. Nevertheless, it was organised by feminists, and its message and principles were entirely feminist. This mattered both because it showed that feminists could hold a separate street demonstration on March 8 and because it inspired feminists in the years that followed.
After the March 8 night march, participants met to continue their anti-war actions. Under the name 'Women Meeting at the Peace Point', they decided to begin a silent sit-in on March 31, 2003, beside the İstiklal Avenue exit of Taksim metro station. It would be based on individual participation, with one banner, feminist symbols and candles, and no organisational names or symbols. The action, with the message 'End the occupation and the attack; they are all men, is that a coincidence? - Women's Peace Point', was repeated in the same place for five consecutive days from March 31 and then continued every Saturday as 'Women Meeting at the Peace Point'. The women also joined the April 6 rally in Çağlayan against the occupation of Iraq, carrying the placards and banners they had used on March 8.
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