With the chant “clothes are not consent”, thousands of people took the streets of Ireland to protest a recent Cork trial where the defending barrister contended that the fact that 17 year-old complainants choice of underwear be factored into the jury’s thinking as to whether she gave consent.
Hundreds took to the streets of Cork, O’Connell Street in Dublin and Limerick waving underwear and signs that read #thisisnotconsent. A washing line of thongs was spread across the Spire.
At the spire #ThisIsNotConsent pic.twitter.com/UQJjznO9pQ
— Norma – opinions mine only – Burke (@normaburke) November 14, 2018
My sign in support of the #thisisnotconsent rally at the Spire today. We have a long way to go. 1 in 3 women worldwide have experienced physical &/or sexual violence. 94% of rape cases end with no conviction. Why on earth would we report a rape when this is the culture we face? pic.twitter.com/laa7cL3ETl
— Dr Ruth Brennan (@ruth_brennan) November 14, 2018
#ThisIsNotConsent pic.twitter.com/oUGDlxlfOW
— I Believe Her – Ireland (@ibelieveher_ire) November 14, 2018
The crowd chants at the rally in Dublin #ThisIsNotConsent pic.twitter.com/dZMNWb1Klt
— Norma – opinions mine only – Burke (@normaburke) November 14, 2018
TD Ruth Coppinger, who raised her underwear in the Dáil on Tuesday to discuss the issue with evidence during rape trials, shared on Twitter that her display of solidarity forced cameras to cut away from her. The TD again showed a thong, this time to the crowds at Dublin’s Spire and noted that evidence such as fake tan and contraception has previously been used as evidence in trials:
I hear cameras cut away from me when I displayed this underwear in #Dáil. In courts victims can have their underwear passed around as evidence and it’s within the rules, hence need to display in Dáil. Join protests tomorrow. In Dublin it’s at Spire, 1pm.#dubw #ThisIsNotConsent pic.twitter.com/DvtaJL61qR
— Ruth Coppinger TD (@RuthCoppingerTD) November 13, 2018
Irish politician Ruth Coppinger holds up the thong underwear she produced to the Irish government chamber yesterday at a protest in Dublin against what she calls “rape myths” in the judiciary. #ThisIsNotConsent pic.twitter.com/KkF3EuNYqV
— aoife-grace moore. (@aoifegracemoore) November 14, 2018
Students joined the Union of Students Ireland at the rally. Speaking to Trinity News, Coppinger said the aim is to build momentum for a strike on International Women’s Day in 2019 and believes students are in a “strong position” as they can organise that together.
Further protests and rallies are planned in the coming days and weeks.
