‘I take to the streets because you have to listen to me!’ Latin American women protesting in Europe
Satu Sundström‘A rapist on your path’ is a performance created by Las Tesis in Chile in 2019. The performance spread across the world and was performed by other groups of women in different countries. It is a rare example of a Southern-born protest making its way to Western contexts. This article highlights the role of women of Latin American origin in organising the re-creations of the performance and analyses their activism in two European cities, Helsinki and Brussels. It is argued that performing in the streets was about spreading the message of the performance and an act of solidarity with activists in Chile. The performance also enabled the performing groups to gain visibility and voice and to network with other groups. Performing in the streets was also a way of breaking away from the Western feminism entrenched in institutions and the academia, and to critically assess Western feminist approaches. Feminist protesting on the streets targets patriarchal structures as the root cause of gender-based violence. Spreading Southern perceptions on the streets of European cities challenges understandings of feminism as entrenched in the academy and in institutions and instead, opens feminist debates to all.