CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE
A series of articles about activism for The New York Times Magazine
Intro & table of contents So many changes wouldn’t have been made in our society without activism. If women wouldn’t have protested on the streets a century ago, I wouldn’t have the right to vote right now. But more importantly, what does activism mean today? What are the issues we are tackling in our society? How are activists fighting the battle? Let’s find out in Civil Disobedience, a series of articles, written and photographed by
Photo: Naomi Ghys
Young activists fighting the battle
When activism doesn’t make you happy anymore
Organizing a protest in a world of fast information and social media: ‘We can’t present ourselves as experts after reading one tweet or watching one video’
‘What happens is more than just violence’. The impunity of Israel
International Women’s Day: Fighting sexism at heart of protests in Antwerp
As long as I can’t walk alone in the dark, change is necessary
Sarah: ‘The impact of the multiple headscarf bans is disastrous, with a lot of direct and indirect consequences’
World Day for Laboratory Animals: a shocking protest
‘People think that eating meat is an opinion, and they think it’s part of their world vision’
Young activists fighting the battle Mats Verheyden (22), living in Deurne, is a proud vegan activist and works at a supermarket. His activism takes place online. He started an Instagram account to promote vegan products, and he reposts messages about animal cruelty on his personal social media. These posts aren’t for sensitive viewers. According to him; ‘the shock-factor might help people to think twice about their actions in the future’. The interview with Mats takes place on Zoom, a week after I photographed him in Antwerp. After taking these pictures, we already talked a bit about Mats’s life when we went for a plant-based take-away coffee.
understand, especially when you still live with your parents or when they strongly hold on to traditions. A vegan diet is also considered to be hard because meat substitutes and plant-based products are expensive.’
During our photoshoot in Antwerp, you showed me an Instagram account that you created. You said that this account could help customers find the plant-based products in the supermarket where you work. Why did you feel the need to start the account? And when have you started it? Mats: ‘I started ‘Carrefourvegan’ in February this year, to make the mass aware of the plant-based products that we sell. I started from the idea that you can also eat proteins through plant-based products instead of diary and meat.’
The masses know that they contribute to animal cruelty. Why do they still eat meat every day? ‘People think that eating meat is an opinion, and they think it’s part of their world vision. We forget that we are all against locking up animals and abusing them, and that it’s a common goal to fight this. I feel like we’re on the same line, but unfortunately, our actions are totally different. Besides, people who eat meat can’t imagine a new ‘me’. They are convinced that eating meat belongs to them. The meat industry loves to empower this mindset. The less informed the consumer, the more they can be influenced.’
‘I want to create awareness about the products that are cruelty-free. Supermarkets are the biggest distributors of food, so this seemed the best starting point. I notice that there is still confusion around the distinction ‘The satisfaction of of plant-based and vegetarian probeing vegan and not ducts. I still see cruelty-free signs on packages of veggie products. A contributing to animal vegetarian diet isn’t cruelty-free, abuse is a relief’ since you still drink milk and eat eggs.’ What is your most prominent reason to be vegan? ‘I want to fight against animal cruelty. To be clear: I didn’t go vegan overnight, but documentaries and other sources helped me to be convinced about a vegan diet. Besides, I love to experiment with the possibilities in general, so I tried to introduce veganism in my life. It luckily worked, and I don’t have any reason to go back to my old habits. The satisfaction of being vegan and not contributing to animal abuse is a relief, and definitely surpasses the feeling of missing meat or diary-based products.’ Why do you think billions of people still eat meat every day? ‘People are uneducated about the consequences of eating meat. They don’t realize it’s cruel and bad for the environment. Besides, they think a vegan diet is difficult, which I
I noticed on your Instagram account that you share posts about animal cruelty on your story. How is this a good way to make people aware, or to change their habits? ‘These posts are hard hitting reality-checks which can sometimes be graphic. When you buy meat in the supermarket, you don’t see a sign of cruelty. People don’t realize what they spend their money on, which is critical to set our needs as consumers. We should be concluding that we are far more influential as informed consumers than the miserable influence we have on the current political system. I repost things where people can see the animal cruelty that they contribute to. The shock-factor might help people to think twice about their actions in the future.’
Jada L. Kennedy (19) is an American student Social Science in Brussels. She is an all-around activist, who is predominantly concerned about climate issues. She’s a member of Youth For Climate. YFC is an organization that started shortly after the strikes in 2019, where Greta Thunberg, the Swedish climate activist, skipped school to protest. The best reason to be a climate activist? ‘Everyone fights for the same goal, regardless of background, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, ... Jada and I planned the interview right after taking some pictures around Jada’s university. The interview takes place in a quiet shared area in the building of her dorm. You have done different actions and protests as an activist. Tell me about the most exciting thing you have done? Jada: ‘We have done different protests and actions with YFC, like protesting for The Green Deal, Vote For My Future Campaign, The School Strikes with Greta Thunberg,…The most exciting and somehow scary thing was a protest in front of the Royal Palace in Brussels last year when the federal government was forming. We protested with a clear message there: we need a government that will work on our climate, or no government at all. With this protest, we wanted to go all-in; members of Greenpeace climbed the gate of the Royal Palace to show banners. We already stood there for 45 minutes, when 30 police officers surrounded us. The police officers arrested us, which was quite exciting. It was the first time being arrested for some of the activists. It turned out that they just wanted to scare us, because after a while, they let us go.’
‘The government has to actively speak about the climate to the mass’ Joining the climate strikes in 2019 could have been performative, since it could have been an excuse to skip classes. Why did you continue being a climate activist? ‘I kept going because the sense of belonging together as a group is what I love so much. The vibe when everyone is happy and ready to fight for a better future is priceless. Everyone fights for the same goal, regardless of background, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, … That gives me energy.’ Have you ever thought: people aren’t listening, I’m giving up climate activism? ‘I am a go-getter, so I won’t easily give up in general. I have to be honest that there were a few moments where I thought whether all of this makes sense. However, when we look at
where women come from compared to our present, there is a huge improvement concerning voting rights. Even though there are still major inequalities. Social movements work.’ Why is it that so many people don’t care about the climate, despite of all the facts and figures? ‘There is still a lot of ignorance. People are selectively deaf towards topics that demand effort, like our climate. It’s always easier to just accept things that are being said by the government, instead of looking at science and real numbers. The government won’t always say the right things when it comes to societal issues. Besides, people don’t listen because it’s not what they want to hear. Working on our climate means educating yourself and actively speaking up.’ You’re also an anti-racism activist. Is there a link with climate activism? ‘When you educate yourself on societal topics, you notice that all minority issues can indeed be linked together. Those who are affected the most by climate are indigenous people and people of color, which can secondly be linked to environmental racism. Then there is the fact that it’s mostly women who get affected by the climate crisis, which explains gender issues. The circle continues. I can’t care about just one societal issue when having all this information.’ You want to reach the government with your activism. What should governments do? ‘The first step is to acknowledge the climate crisis. The government has to actively speak about this issue to the mass. The second necessity is to take action to achieve the goals that were promised to Europe in the Paris agreement. Finally, I would love to see them stop applauding the youth for the climate work they do. They will support our protests and listen to our speeches, but they should start to actively work together with us.’ Why do you think governments aren’t taking the action that is needed? ‘Politics is all about votes and money, and solving climate issues is expensive and not seen as urgent by the mass. Little
‘Not seeing the disastrous effects of the climate in Western countries doesn’t mean they do not exist’ do people know that in the long term, we will have to invest a lot more money to limit the damage done to our planet from getting worse. This feels hypocrite, since the government can invest huge amounts of money in companies that produce fossil fuels.’ If you would have to convince me about caring more about the climate, what would you say? ‘It’s your future. Your children and grandchildren will suffer from the effects of climate disasters. We can pressure the government right now, to create a sustainable and promising future. If you don’t do it to satisfy us, do it for yourself and your children. Not seeing the disastrous effects of the climate in Western countries doesn’t mean they do not exist. Continuing the climate dialogue is essential.’
Nick Van de Velde (23) lives in Helchteren. He currently works in sales and is photographer and body positivity activist. This year in February, he launched his own activist Instagram account called ‘Normalize Me(n)’, to fight against male beauty standards and to accept his own body. I met Nick on Zoom on a Thursday afternoon, which was initially the day to do the photoshoot in Hasselt. The Belgian weather unfortunately didn’t allow us to be outside to take the pictures, so we postponed that to a sunny day. Can you tell us more about Normalize Me(n)? Nick: ‘I am a proponent of the body positivity movement, but I think that this movement only focuses on women. Take a look at role models like Lizzo or Ashley Graham, which are only two of hundreds of female body positivity activists. Unfortunately, I can’t name one man who represents men who fall outside of the male beauty standard, which is still being tall and slim, and having a six pack and beard. I wanted change and wondered why I couldn’t start with myself. That’s why I started Normalize Me(n), an Instagram page with a series of pictures I took of myself. To inspire others, but also to accept my own body.’ Was it scary to put these photos of yourself out there? ‘It was particularly scary because I didn’t know what the reactions or opinions would be, which in the end were quite positive. I received negative comments as well, saying that I promoted fatness or a high BMI. I can’t agree with this, since a heavier body isn’t necessarily unhealthy.’
‘Showing all types of bodies is necessary, that’s why I became my own role model’ ‘The moment where I said ‘fuck it’ followed after the realization that I’m always complaining that there weren’t any male role models out there who could represent me. Showing all types of bodies is necessary, that’s why I became my own role model.’
Photo: Nick Van De Velde
Pictures from Normalize Me(n)
Photo: Nick Van De Velde
What will the future of Normalize Me(n) hold? ‘I’m going to take pictures of other men and tell their story on my account. One of them is a man who sent me a message and complimented me for what I do with Normalize Me(n). He explained to me that he gained quite a lot of weight when he struggled with a burn out, which is the reason he doesn’t love himself anymore. For him, Normalize Me(n) would be the first step to have his self-love back. I really want to get through with this idea, but because of the virus, I have to postpone this concept when the COVID-19 measures are less strict. ‘
What were your insecurities as a boy? ‘I was already quite heavy when I was a kid, but I didn’t really care. It’s from the moment that I started spending time on social media as a teenager, that the pressure was high to look perfect. I never saw my body represented on social media. You see, Dove currently makes marketing campaigns with women from all shapes and skin colors. Zalando is also taking an inclusive approach, but predominantly for women. I don’t see curvy or fat men anywhere in marketing campaigns, which I don’t understand. When big brands would jump on this need for more male inclusivity, they would get all the hype.’
Do you see yourself as an activist? ‘When you physically protest, you want to change things. This is what I also want to do with my Nozmalize Me(n. I’m fighting against male beauty standards.’
You were on the national radio with Normalize Me(n). ‘Yes, being on air for so many people was incredibly exciting. This radio interview was quite nice and gave me some publicity, which is needed when you have just started something.’
‘I don’t see curvy or fat men anywhere in marketing campaigns‘
Organizing a protest in a world of fast information and social media: ‘We can’t present ourselves as experts after reading one tweet or watching one video’ Are we judging faster than ever before? Hans De Waele, judge in Ghent, wrote in an opinion piece that ‘we judge too quickly about incidents in our society, fueled by politicians and social media.’ De Waele wrote the piece as a result of the fuss going around after an incident in Beveren that happened on the 6th of March. On that day, a crime of alleged gaybashing took place in Beveren, a town in Flanders. David Polfliet, a 42-year-old gay man, was violently beaten up in a park where his body was found the next day. He got lured via Grindr, a dating app for homo-and bisexual men. The investigation is still running. However, news sites and social media were full of confir-
matory information about the incident. The Brussels Times said that ‘this man is the second in Belgium known to have been clearly murdered for being gay’, which sounds like they already had all the information. The Insider was also quick to come to conclusions, saying that ‘this is a tragic and disturbing reminder of the hatred and violence faced by all-too-many people in the LGBTQ+ community.’ A protest after a presumable act of gaybashing A week after the incident, a peaceful protest took place in Beveren. The action was a reaction to the presumable act of gaybashing. Elio De Bolle, organizer of the protest and coordinator Belgian Pride Brussels, confirms that LGBTQ organizations should communicate carefully when there is
Kids With Buns, an upcoming band, played a few songs on stage
De Bolle: ‘We should act strongly if the crime turns out to be homophobic, especially when the court passes this as a run-in’ uncertainty. ‘As LGBTQ community, it’s not our right to tell the world that this was a homophobic murder. We need to trust our constitutional state. The judges will come up with the correct punishment by using the law.’ De Bolle agrees with De Waele’s statement. ‘We judge a particular case too quickly without having enough available information. It’s wrong when everyone presents themselves as experts after only reading one short tweet or watching one video. This is not how it works’. Elio De Bolle still decided to organize something. ‘Should we be blind and never react when we don’t have clear evidence? Absolutely not. But we need to adjust our communication and act accordingly. We should act stronly if the crime turns out to be homophobic, especially when the court passes this is a run-in. This would mean that homophobia isn’t being taken seriously by the court.’ An incident on IDAHOT On May 17, another presumable incident of gaybashing took place in Oudenaarde, a town in East-Flanders. A video shows
how a guy with a rainbow flag was beaten up on International Day Against Homophobia- and Transphobia. De Bolle and LGBTQ organizations got overwhelmed with messages to take initiative and to present themselves as civil party. ‘These people based their opinions on a short news article without clearly knowing the facts. We can’t become civil party when the investigation is still running’, mentions De Bolle. No protest signs, no screaming through a mic, and no harsh language. De Bolle: ‘We always wanted to carry out this action in a positive way to empower our community, which is also the very core of our LGBTQ-community.’ Only up to 100 people were allowed on the big square in Beveren due to the COVID-19 measures. The action could have been followed with a Zoom link. The huge screen with people who followed the event from home stood out next to the stage, where Kids With Buns, an upcoming band, played a few songs. This made the protest rather peacefully. No protest signs, no screaming through a mic, and no harsh language. ‘Although we didn’t have all the necessary information, people felt angry and anxious. We felt the need to bring the message that the people of our community should keep their heads up and not let hate win. We don’t want them to be too afraid to show their faces on the street. This would mean we would crawl into our closet again, and then we are not taking any steps forward. Our message during this action was that we disapprove any kind of violence or discrimination towards LGBTQ people’, explains De Bolle.
When activism doesn’t make you happy anymore
Photo: Stephanie Baguette
Stephanie Baguette (21) lives in Brasschaat and started as an animal rights activist when she was 17 years old. Shortly after that, she realized that activism made her unhappy. Stephanie is still a proud vegan, but she had to let go of the negativity that comes with being an activist. I have already interviewed activists who talk about their current situation. All of them are excited and satisfied about how things are. However, it seems like this might not be the same for everyone. Let’s start by asking what you did when you were still an activist? Stephanie: ‘I have done multiple protests and marches with different animal rights organizations. Besides, I represented Animal Rights on the shopping street in Antwerp to inform passengers. We started conversations with people and educated them about animal cruelty. This information mostly included veganism and what’s hidden behind the meat production. Finally, I wanted to do something online as well, so I shared posts from Bite Back and Animal Rights on my story on Instagram.’
There must have been a moment where you realized doing all of that didn’t make you happy anymore. ‘I started to have mixed feelings when I learned more about animal cruelty. I’m a sensitive person, so I feel sorry for the animals that are being abused on a daily basis. Back then, I had conversations with people in my private life to convince them about the knowledge that I had about animal cruelty. That didn’t work. People didn’t listen to me and just continued their habits. I couldn’t find a way to let these feelings go, and that’s when I realized that activism made me unhappy. I quit after that realization, to start again after a while. I promised myself I wouldn’t be too invested in these issues again. Unfortunately, it still got the best of me, even after trying.’ What did you do to feel happy again? ‘I had to give up activism to feel better. And I had to stop having conversations about veganism and animal cruelty with other people. I barely had any of these talks in the last few months, which brought me peace. I guess I was tired that I always had to justify being vegan for the sake of the animals.
This is my choice, and other people don’t have to judge that decision. When people ask me specific questions about veganism, I obviously answer, but I try to keep it short and end that conversation as quickly as possible.’ What was the most frustrating thing about being an animal rights activist? ‘What mostly bothered me was the hypocrisy. People told me they wanted to make their lives better and do something for the planet, when in reality, they didn’t do anything at all. I started to arouse myself in this like crazy, up to a point that it wasn’t healthy for me anymore.’ Have you ever regretted your decision to quit activism? ‘No, not really. I also have good memories about being an activist. I loved the sense of belonging together as a group. We were small, but we never lost sight of our goals as activists. Knowing that you’re not the only person who wants change is amazing. The togetherness is something I won’t forget.’ ‘I will never exclude the possibility to start again, but not in the way I have done it before. I started a blog last year, which
‘I started having conversations with people in my private life to convince them about the knowledge that I had about animal cruelty. That didn’t work’ felt like a positive way to outreach for me. Unfortunately, my blog stalled too since I started working last year. I also thought about starting workshops, which also seems like a positive way to do activism. But for the time being, it’s not going to happen.’ Did the members from Animal Rights ever blame you for your decision? ‘They sometimes ask me when I want to join an event again, but I just tell them that being an activist is no longer doing it for me. I think they already figured that out, since I quit online activism. I have also erased ‘vegan’ from my bio on Instagram.’
‘What happens is more than just violence’. The impunity of Israel
Israel has been bombarding Gaza since the beginning of May, yet, the country hasn’t been held accountable for its actions. Myriam Vandecan, chairwoman of Palestina Solidariteit, an organization that supports Palestine, says that sanctioning Israel would be a small step forward. ‘If Palestine would get help from Western European countries and the USA, the problem would easily be solved.’ The new conflict started on May 10, when civilians were killed and injured after Palestinian armed groups fired more than 1,500 rockets towards areas in central Israel and towns near the Gaza border. Israel fought back and carried out air strikes killing and injuring civilians in Gaza. The conflict is ongoing, with Israeli forces killing civilians and destroying family buildings in Gaza, according to Amnesty International. Saleh
Higazi, Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International, also mentions that ‘Israel must not assume they will enjoy past impunity for violations’. Israel’s impunity due to strong allies However, the impunity isn’t as it easy as it seems, according to Sami Zemni, professor in political and social sciences at the Center for Conflict and Development Studies at Ghent University. ‘Most resolutions, like sanctioning Israel, are being discussed and approved internationally. The UN Safety Council and the general assembly often come up with severe punishments towards Israel. Nonetheless, these proposals get vetoed by Canada, the USA and Israel. The USA is one of the countries with a veto right, and they have a very strong alliance with Israel. Canada and Israel have strong relations as
Vandecan: ‘The narrative that you’re an anti-Semitist when you don’t support Israel is still alive’ well, marked by close political, economic, social and cultural ties. Proposals to sanction Israel aren’t being applied due to these strong allyships.’ Holocaust The start of the holocaust, where six million Jews had been killed, is already 60 years behind us, but according to Vandecan, the genocide plays a role in the current events in Israel. ‘People still feel guilty about this horrible time. Right now, people are afraid of how they will be perceived when they open their mouth and fight for the Palestinians. The narrative that you’re an anti-Semitist when you don’t support Israel is still alive.’ Propaganda benefiting Israel Vandecan also thinks that the impunity of Israel has to do with lack of education, or even incorrect education in middle school and high school. ‘With Palestine Solidarity, we have done an analysis of Flemish geographic – and history study books. We noticed that a lot of mistakes were being made there, meaning that these books consist of pure propaganda benefiting Israel. Politicians have been taught that what Israel is doing is all permitted. We often send press releases or newsletters to politicians to inform them, which they ignore. This means that they refuse to be educated on this topic’.
This isn’t surprising, according to Vandecan. ‘But the mindset can be dangerous’, she continues. ‘As long as what happens is in line with the politicians way of doing politics, they will continue to be blind and uneducated. The masses listen to the media and to what politicians say, and if they will not speak up, the audience won’t take this conflict seriously.’ ‘We don’t expect big changes through these petitions’ To fight against the impunity of Israel, protests have been held across Belgium, including Leuven. The actions to free Palestine will continue as long as change isn’t being made. Another protest was held in Leuven on May 26, and another one will be held next week, on the 2nd of June. Next to that, petitions are being shared and signed at quite a fast pace. A petition of COMAC students, the youth organization of PVDA, the labor party, gathered 37 915 signatures already. Vandecan mentions why these actions are so important. ‘The petitions are mostly being used to start conversations with the masses and to sensitize them. It pressures politicians. However, we don’t expect big changes through these petitions. Politics is all about votes. As long as politicians can still be popular without sanctioning Israel, they will continue ignoring this issue.’
International Women’s Day:
Fighting sexism at heart of protests in Antwerp
Despite COVID-19, protesters took their activism onto the streets to fight sexism and to celebrate women on International Women’s Day. And what were the biggest reasons for protesting against sexism in 2021? Low wages and sexual violence, say the activists.
Low wages and sexual assault was moslty named by the activists. According to Knack, a Belgian weekly news Magazine, rape cases have been increased by 25 percent in 2019: in 2010, 3.757 rape victims went to the police to report, compared to 4.664 rape victims in 2019. Half of these reports are made by an underage victim. Besides, an average of 10 rape reports are made in Belgium every day, but the dark number for sexual assault is high: 90 percent of men and women who are raped never report the incident.
The very first International Women’s Day The first ever official International Women’s Day was held in 1911. Since then, all sorts of events, including marches and protests and featuring many a speech, have been held throughout the world, including in Belgium. It started with a march in the United States in 1908, to protest poor working conditions, long working hours and the fact that women did not have the right to vote, according to International Women’s Day. A year after that, with the help of the Socialist Party of America, the First National Women’s day was born.
The minimum wages on the other hand, can only increase with 0,4% in this year and the next, according to VRT, the public medium of Flanders. Trade unions were disappointed after hearing this verdict.
Three years later, the first International Women’s Day was held on the 19th of March in Switzerland, Denmark, Germany and Austria.
Benjamin (35), creative brain behind a burlesque school named Women Empowerment, protested against inequality in general. ‘My day before the protest was very shitty. People were unfriendly on the street, and everything just sucked. I remember meeting up with a friend on the day of the protest. She hadn’t even arrived, and I saw her being catcalled, which happens very often. It’s horrible. That was the moment I realized that I really wanted to join the protest in Antwerp.’
e changes in th t a th d e c in on’ ‘I am conv e right directi th in g in d a ociety are he
s ‘I feel like I didn’t go to the protest to fight for one particular thing. To strive for equality, I feel like everything is a number one priority. However, I am convinced that the changes in society are heading in the right direction.’
‘A man who is dressed as a woman often visits my favourite coffee bar named Cuperus. This was a true inspiration for me to do the same. I received loads of positive comments on my outfit, and I don’t think that I would have encountered the same enthusiasm ten years ago. I feel like at this point, we don’t have any other choice but to move forward.’
Jonas (16), student Economics and Maths, protested not only for the safety of women, but also for employees rights. ‘The most prominent reasons for me to protest are minimum wages and the safety of women. I work as a student at Colruyt supermarket, and realize how employees put themselves at risk every day during this pandemic. I have great respect for everyone who keeps doing this every day. They deserve to earn more for what they put themselves up for.’
Jonas: ‘Next to that, I value the safety and freedom of women. It’s important that women can wear whatever and be whoever they want. I also have a personal experience here: my ex-girlfriend got harassed by men multiple times, mostly in summer or at night. I can understand why women feel unsafe in the streets.’
Greet (71), retired, shows that the march isn’t just about women’s rights, but rights in general. She protested against low wages, set out by the current political climate in Belgium. ‘The trade union made an appeal to protest against low minimum wages on International women’s day. I am also a member of PVDA, the labor party. I joined them because they represent and support the ordinary population. I feel like they are there to make a difference, in contradiction to other politicians who earn a fortune.’
Jonas: ‘We can only vote every five years in Belgium, which is too infrequent to make changes in between elections. Using your voice by protesting is a great way to make a change. It can help steer politicians and lawmakers in the right direction.’
Jonas: ‘I can’t fi nd myself in eve feminism, since ry aspect of I think that som e women take it too far’
Jonas: It’s a good sign that men were prominently present at the protest, since men are getting tired of sexism too. We get confronted with our sisters and girlfriends getting raped or feeling unsafe on the street, and we’re tired of hearing that. I think so many men were there to say that they want change too. I can’t find myself in every aspect of feminism, since I think that some women take it too far. Nonetheless, I strive for equality, and this means that the voice of a man can be as loud as the voice of a woman.’
Greet: ‘Every two years, the employers, employees and trade unions come together for an interprofessional agreement about the indexing of the wages. It turned out that this year and the next, the wages will only increase with 0,4% in Belgium. This is ridiculous, since cashiers, salespeople and warehouse workers have worked so hard during the pandemic, and this on a low income. In the meantime, the supermarkets themselves were the least affected by the crisis as they kept their profits high in the last year. These low-income jobs are predominantly done by women, which explains the motivation to hold the protest on International Women’s Day.’
‘Although I protested to see real change, I also went to feel the solidarity between the activists. It was a relief to see all these people protesting for a better future.’
‘I can’t take law makers and judges seriously when it comes to sexual assault. I strongly doubt whether they have been in a similar situation since they take these incidents so lightly. I just can’t believe that the law barely punishes people who decide to destroy someone soul.’
‘I always read in my feminist books that feminism is good for men too’
‘I can’t take lawm akers and judges se riously when it com es to sexual assau lt’
assault.
‘Society still believes in the narrative that women should change their behavior, like wearing appropriate clothes, to not get raped or assaulted. We have to stop targeting the victims, but instead focus on the behavior of the perpetrator. We need to systemically educate men that touching a woman without their consent is a crime. To be honest, I feel frustrated that we still have to fight rape culture in 2021.’
sexual
rapists aren’t being held accountable for their actions.’
C O LUMN
As long as I can’t walk alone in the dark, change is necessary It was a sunny day in 2013. I was heading to a friend’s birthday party, which I was incredibly excited for. I was 15 years old, and I had just started going out with my friends. Looking back, I can’t believe how young I was. Still, I felt grown up. Ready to spread my wings and go out into the world.
huge relief. I always read in my feminist books that feminism is good for men too. I guess they’re slowly realizing that they also have a voice in the matter.
I am happy that change is coming. Movements are being created, protests are being organized, and women are refusing to I walked through my hometown in Lier with a dress and a botlive in fear. The most surprising thing I eventually learned is tle of wine in my hands. I saw two men that I can actually react when men catcall hanging against a wall, chatting and or assault me. My entourage keeps telling smoking cigarettes. I had to walk past me that I should be careful when I clap ‘I don’t want to be them. While I was passing by, I noticed back at the men who catcall me. They dependent on a man say it can make them angry when I put them staring at me. ‘Hey pretty girl, can I join you?’. ‘Can I have your phone my middle finger up in the air, say ‘leave to protect me’ number?’. ‘Do you have a boyfriend?’. I me alone’ or just roll my eyes at them. was only fifteen years old. Honestly, I don’t care. Ignoring what happens simply doesn’t feel right when we want to change I blamed myself; my first thought was that my dress would something. And as long as I can’t walk alone in the dark, I have been too revealing. Or that I shouldn’t have walked continue to believe change is necessary. around with a bottle of alcohol in my hand. Or maybe I shouldn’t have walked in a particular manner that would make them feel welcome to start assaulting me. But I was still naïve. Now I am a feminist and smart enough to know that it was not my fault, but theirs. Since that week, an incident like that has happened to me at least once a week. I always say Antwerp is the worst, particularly around Central Station. It’s like the men there are just waiting around for women to catcall and assault. To be honest, I am pretty much desensitised to these events by now. This obviously doesn’t mean that I approve this behaviour. I guess I’m just used to it happening all the time. I hear women telling me they have the same experiences all the time. On their way home, at the bar, at a party, and so on. Street harassment isn’t an individual issue, but a systematic one. I notice that men leave me alone when I’m walking with a male friend through the city. They join me to make sure that I safely arrive at the train station. This is a nice gesture, but it bothers me somehow; I don’t want to be dependent on a man to protect me. I want to able to walk anywhere I want on my own, without needing a male escort. 8th of March; A protest against sexism. I obviously join to use my voice and express my anger towards the kind of sexism I experience on daily basis. It feels empowering to unite with all these women. I notice men are protesting too, which is a
Photo: William Mostmans
Activist Sarah: ‘The impact of the multiple headscarf bans is disastrous, with a lot of direct and indirect consequences’ Sarah El Massaoudi, 28 years old, is a human rights activist and social worker. She combines her job with a lot of work she carries out as an activist. She is active in multiple activist organizations, including ‘Baas Over Eigen Hoofd’, which she will gladly explain in the interview. ‘I’m busy from Monday to Sunday. During the workweek, when I come home from work, I start working on stuff for the initiatives I’m active in. I try to take a 30-minute break to have dinner with my husband, but afterwards I continue with what I was doing until it’s time go to bed.’ Sarah mentions this in her apartment in Antwerp while I take the photos for this interview, in which she talks about the core of being an activist, wearing a headscarf as a feminist, and the police state in today’s society. What kind of organization is ‘Baas Over Eigen Hoofd’? Sarah: ‘BOEH! is an intersectional feminist and anti-racist organization. We try to achieve more equality in general. We mostly focus on the intersections of racism and sexism, since this is the field in which the so-called headscarf ban exists. To be clear: we’re not an organization that promotes wearing the headscarf, which is often something that people project on us. A few months ago, a psychologist named Kaat Bollen, got slutshamed for posting revealing pictures on her Instagram and making porn videos. This led to fuss in Belgium. With BOEH!, we supported Kaat and we stood by her side. This felt obvious, because we want to achieve full self-determination for everyone, which means that all women get to choose whether they want to cover up or not. After we showed our support, more white people started following us and told us they finally realized something: a woman should wear whatever she wants, so we’re actually fighting the same thing here, which is patriarchy. Some women are finally gaining these insights. However, most white feminists still fight exclusively for their own self-determination and freedom. They fight for the right to have an abortion, for example, but when it comes to Muslim women wearing a headscarf, they think it’s okay to choose for us. They want to ‘liberate’ or ‘save’ us, without considering our voice and our freedom to choose. This is wrong because they shouldn’t get to decide what is and isn’t oppression for us.’ Do you ever get the reproach that you can’t be a feminist while wearing a headscarf? ‘Yes, but a lot more often when I was younger, since I was mostly surrounded by white feminists back then. This percep-
tion unfortunately still exists, but since I avoid spaces where Islamophobia is rampant, I’m less confronted by it. Slowly more space for intersectional feminism is being created. I see classic feminist organizations wanting to take an intersectional approach, but there’s still a lot of work to do.’ Why isn’t it obvious to be a feminist while wearing a headscarf? ‘The masses think that a headscarf and feminism don’t go together due to the so-called ‘oppression’ that we experience. It’s ironic because simultaneously, women with a headscarf are being perceived as being a gigantic threat for our secular society. On the one hand, we are the suppressed group of women who need to be liberated immediately. On the other hand, we are dangerous because we’re the embodiment of ‘Islamic extremism’. This is a clear paradox. This kind of thinking is the result of us being a visible target in society, as well as the colonial discourse and patriarchal and paternalistic urge to liberate women. Even when we as Muslim women say that it’s our own choice to practice our religion and to wear a headscarf, white people assume that we are indoctrinated, and that we don’t know any better. White feminists have incorporated this narrative and try to convince themselves that having more equality has to include a total headscarf ban, which is obviously bullshit.’
‘I see classic feminist organizations wanting to take an intersectional approach, but there’s still a lot of work to do’ What are the consequences of a total headscarf ban in our Western countries? ‘The impact of the multiple headscarf bans is disastrous, with a lot of direct and indirect consequences. How will you help women who have to wear a headscarf by banning headscarfs, when in fact, women or girls who are truly being forced to wear a headscarf will probably be kept at home when they aren’t covered up? It doesn’t even makes sense. Nonetheless there are huge decisions based on the narrative that a headscarf immediately means oppression, even though this was never an informed or researched vision. So many Muslim
‘Protesters shouldn’t have to be afraid of police officers. They should feel safe and protected’
women have spoken and written about their situation, telling the mass that they choose to wear a headscarf. However, everyone still wants to focus on that small group that is being pressured to wear one. They want to hold on to this world vision out of their own racism. We administered and analyzed a questionnaire with BOEH! last year, which had been filled in by almost 400 women with a headscarf. It turned out that almost 98% of these women choose to wear a headscarf, which is higher than what most people expect or choose to believe. ‘
‘Huge decisions are being based on the narrative that a headscarf immediately means opression, even though this was never an informed or researched vision’ You fight for human rights, which includes feminism, anti-discrimination and anti-racism, which already seems overwhelming. Do you fight for other societal issues, like the climate, as well? ‘As an activist, you want to do everything. You have the urge to save the world on your own. However, doing something for every single societal issue isn’t necessary. When someone is an activist, it means that at some point they realized that there is a battle to fight, whether it’s about equality for humans, animal rights, the climate… I feel like it’s important to take a look at how you will fight an issue. With BOEH, we always try to link our fight to a societal analysis. This analysis brings
us to the conclusion that creating an equal society can not happen without the eradication of white supremacy, capitalism and the patriarchy. When we speak up for certain issues at BOEH, we make sure that they are always rooted in that analysis. We might not talk about animal rights, but because we aim to dismantle our capitalist system, we indirectly focus on animal rights too, since our capitalist system is built on the exploitation of people, planet, and animals. Activists should base their actions on the right societal analysis. When that happens, the result of any fight will always benefit multiple societal issues, even indirectly. What happens too often is that activists still look at specific day-to-day problems and immediately react without keeping the overall picture in mind. I think that if we keep the right vision in mind, the togetherness we want to create as activist organizations will become more visible. We already noticed this after the national BLM protests. Many diverse organizations are slowly finding and supporting each other, which is incredibly powerful. I think this togetherness is important. We need everybody if we want to achieve a society where the rights of people, animals and nature are fulfilled and protected.’ Have you ever been in touch with police violence on protests or marches? ‘No, not personally, but I’m obviously very critical towards police as an institution. Up to this point, I had relatively positive experiences with police officers. For some reason, I always get away with stuff, even when I did something wrong. It’s mostly about traffic infringement, but still... I think this is because I’m a light skinned women. Black people and especially black men get in touch with police violence a lot more often. Men of color in general, I would add. Police violence towards black men is a huge problem in the USA specifically, but when we look at the reality in Belgium, we see that men of color, whether black or brown are targeted the most.’ Last week I had a conversation with a police officer, who told me that when one police officer uses violence towards protesters, the whole police state gets blamed. Which in his opinion isn’t fair. ‘I think that’s fair. Nobody should use violence when they’re in a position of power. It frustrates me when police officers say that ‘they’re just doing their job’. They are being trained with specific techniques to arrest people without having to beat them up. It’s their job to create as little damage as possible, and to assure the safety of people. Protesters shouldn’t have to be afraid of police officers. They should feel safe and protected. Furthermore, when we look at different cases of police violence, we notice that the violence that was being used was ultimately disproportional. The person already lays down and is contained, which makes the violence not permissible in any case.’ But is it fair to blame the whole police state for a few ‘bad’ police officers? ‘When we criticize the police for violence, we criticize the system. We criticize the power monopoly that the police holds. People often say that there are a few ‘good’ police officers out there. When you literally take out all the violent police officers and replace them with good ones, it’s still a system that is inherently violent.’
World Day for Laboratory Animals: a shocking protest Protesters wearing animal costumes were brought to a set-up slaughter table, before they pretended to be violently killed by scientists. Others were put in a cage. The protest on the 24th of April in Leuven, organised by Animal Rights, XR Animal, Dieranimal and Bite Back, was visual and shocking. ‘We tried to shock people by putting animal cruelty in the spotlight’, according to Jen Hochmuth, organizer of the protest, and campaign coordinator of Replace Animal Testing at Animal Rights. The protest was being held in Leuven, where its university, KU Leuven, is the only institution that still carries out brain tests on monkeys. However, Animal Rights, Bite Back, XR Animal and Dieranimal have protested for every laboratory animal on Saturday. ‘We think that animal testing in general is inhuman’, mentions Hochmuth. ‘A healthy animal that wants to live, can’t be killed in a human way. Some animals are born in those laboratories. It has always been unacceptable.’ The most shocking protest Animal Rights has done Are protests getting more intense and shocking? Hochmuth thinks that this was the harshest protest they have ever done. ‘I’m not a proponent of heavy protests. There is one important factor for me here: as long as the attention doesn’t go to the animals anymore but to the human, I can’t agree anymore.’ mentions Hochmuth.’
Hochmuth: ‘A healthy animal that wants to live, can’t be killed in a human way’ Protests like this are being held in public spaces, like the Old Market in Leuven, where many people pass and see the protest. ‘I’m not concerned that children see this. Everywhere you go with your kid, someone can be beaten or attacked. As a parent, it’s your responsibility to explain to your kid what happens on such protests. We obviously don’t intend to traumatize kids, but it’s the right of children to know in what kind of world they grow up’, mentions Hochmuth. ‘A disappointment for scientists’ Jeroen Aerts from Infopunt Proefdierenonderzoek, an
organization that spreads nuanced information about animal testing to the broader public, explains why he can’t agree with a protest like that. ‘The way the protesters present and treat scientists disappoints us. We won’t achieve anything with such extreme opinions and protests that influence the public opinion incorrectly. We can’t do whatever we want as scientists. We can only carry out an animal test once it’s approved by the ethics committee. It’s frustrating that we try our best to inform the broader public for years, and with just one protest that lasts an hour, our thoughtful information doesn’t mean anything anymore.’ A petition for brain tests on monkeys Animal Rights has started a petition to fight against tests on monkeys. The organization handed this petition over to Ben
Jen Hochmuth giving a speech on the protest Weyts, Flemish minister of Animal Welfare and member of NV-A, a Flemish nationalist, conservative political party. ‘His reaction was positive. He listened to our concerns and promised that there will be a reduction of animal tests. Animal Rights is also invited into this conversation as stakeholder’, mentions Hochmuth.
Aerts: ‘I can’t agree with huge political decisions being made based on a small amount of protesters’ But Aerts is disappointed that the voice of scientists won’t be used in this conversation.
‘I can’t agree with huge political decisions being made based on a small number of protesters. These tests on monkeys have a goal, and are all approved by the ethics committee, that heavily reflects on alternatives.’ The COVID-19 vaccine though animal testing According to Aerts, the COVID vaccine is created by using animals. ‘The activists will sign petitions to stop animal testing, but five minutes later, they will get in line to receive a COVID vaccine, which could only have been created with the help of animal testing. With cruelty-free methods, we wouldn’t have achieved a proper COVID vaccine. That’s where the whole hypocrisy lies in the debate.’ Aerts thinks that scientists and stakeholders have to work together to move forward in this debate. ‘Right now, we’re all living in our own world with our own opinions, which won’t get us anywhere near a common goal.’