Mexico women protest murders of feminist activists

Several hundred feminist activists warmed up with chants next to a monument to murdered women in Mexico City on Saturday, before marching through the Mexican capital. It was the latest in a series of all-female protests that have flooded central avenues since August when thousands of women rallied in anger over the alleged rape of a teenager by city police and rampant violence against women.

Now, the feminists themselves feel like targets, after two of their fellow activists were murdered this month in different parts of the country. At one point during the protest, mothers and sisters of murdered women took turns at a microphone to describe how their loved ones were murdered, and how, years later, the perpetrators remain free.

Many family members receive death threats for their pursuit of justice.In August, female protesters shocked Mexico by trashing a bus station, police precinct and spray-painting messages like “rape state” onto the base of the Angel of Independence, a major monument in the capital.

Defacing monuments along the city's stately Reforma Avenue has since become a priority for some, who wear masks to conceal their identities. Lines of female police in riot helmets stood shoulder to shoulder in an effort to protect the monuments on Saturday.

The protesters shouted “traitor!” at the female officers, who pursed their lips and resisted fighting back, despite being splattered with paint at one point.

The demonstrators shifted directions at several points, resulting in an elaborate game of cat and mouse that blocked traffic on key arteries for several hours. On average, 10 women are murdered every day in Mexico, making it one of the most dangerous countries in the world for women. Only one of every 10 reported crimes in Mexico results in jail time.

(Image Credit: AP)