OneBillionRisingPDX

F14 One Billion Rising PDX

One Billion Rising is a Global Call to Action to end violence against women and girls by coming together, taking a stand, and dancing in solidarity! According to the UN, one in three women will be raped or beaten in her lifetime. That’s one billion women. One billion women violated is an atrocity. Through this movement and day of action our community is voicing its commitment to end violence against women and girls. Globally, there are more than 5000 actions organized from 190 countries!

We hope you’ll join us as Portland stands in solidarity with women across the world who are rising up and demanding an end to violence against women and girls!

When: Thursday, February 14, 2013 (F14). We Rally @ 3:00pm and we march @ 3:30pm

** Gather your friends, family, and co-workers and dress for the weather. Rain or shine we march!

Where: Gather at Directors Park, 815 SW Park Ave. for a rally, dance and march through downtown Portland.

After rally and march event: The march will lead to the First Unitarian Church, 1211 SW Main Street, from 4:15 pm to 7:30 pm. for food, dancing, speakers, workshops, breakout sessions, and more!

Follow the march at https://twitter.com/1BillionRisePDX

*It is important to share with our community that the organizers of One Billion Rising PDX have not requested a permit for this march.

Statement of intention regarding not having a permit for the march

Amongst the demands being made on F14, One Billion Rising PDX is demanding that the the City of Portland address Portland’s rampant human sex trafficking industry. To learn more of Portland’s human sex trafficking industry and the city of Portland’s negligent response to it, link to http://billybuc.hubpages.com/hub/Human-Trafficking-Trouble-In-River-City

Another key issue of One Billion Rising PDX is the negligence within the justice department to hold perpetrators of violence against women accountable for their crimes. They can start with following recommendations to “fire a captain Todd Wyatt, after finding he inappropriately touched female employees….Instead, Chief Mike Reese chose to demote the 21-year bureau veteran to the rank of lieutenant. The chief re-assigned Wyatt to the detective division. Wyatt began supervising sex crimes investigations Jan. 2.” You can read more about this story by linking to http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2013/01/board_urged_firing_of_untruthf.html

Also, with the rise of civil action in Portland, there has also been a rise in police brutality and excessive force against women participating in peaceful demonstrations. http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2012/10/occupy_protester_pepper_spraye.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT8P8Qbzb8E

In light of these issues, we did not find it met the nature of our demands to request a permit from the city of Portland.

This is a peaceful demonstration. We are not encouraging or promoting ANY acts of violent demonstration. Our hope for the day is that we can raise awareness of the injustices against women, give those who are rising an opportunity to make their demands, learn and grow as a society, and above all connect and network with each other to bring an end to violence against women and girls.

We urge you to evaluate your own comfort levels with participating in unpermitted marches and make the decision for yourself as to whether or not you will join us for the march. We worked very hard and hope that we’ve created ample opportunity for EVERYONE to participate in this global day of action by having multiple events going on throughout the day.

NOTE:  CHANGE OF VENUE FOR WORKSHOPS, TABLES, DANCING…

Are you ready to rise with One Billion others this Thursday?

We have had a last minute change in our indoor location.  We will NOT be meeting in the Pythian Building following the march  — instead we will be  having workshops, dancing, food and more at the First Unitarian Church, 1211 SW Main Street, from 4:15 pm to 7:30 pm.  The day will begin at 3 pm, as planned, in Director’s Park,
815 SW Park Ave., for a rally and flash mob dance, “Break the Chain.”  You can watch tutorials on the main website — but come whether you know the steps or not – and dance with everyone else.  Around 3:30 pm there will be a march downtown, without permit.  Then we’ll have hours of resource sharing, joyful dancing, relevant workshops, good food, and connecting with others who want to create change — at the First Unitarian Church.

We NEED MORE VOLUNTEERS.  Just show up!  Ask for Kelly, our Volunteer Coordinator, and she’ll assign you where needed.  It takes all of us.  Also, if you are able, we are happily accepting donations on Thursday to pay for the church space and the programs.  Bring your friends and we’ll rise together!!!

Related articles

• House Republicans Must Take Action Against Domestic Violence: Pass the Violence Against Women Act (dpcc.senate.gov)
• The 22 Men Who Voted Against The Violence Against Women Act. (elephantjournal.com)
• U.S. Senate Approves Anti-Violence Against Women Act (news.yahoo.com)
• Rubio votes against Violence Against Women Act hours before delivering GOP SOTU response (postonpolitics.com)
• Conservative Advocates: Violence Against Women Act Unfair To Men (tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com)
• Senate Measure Extends, Bolsters Services in Violence Against Women Act (acslaw.org)
• US Senate renews domestic violence bill despite Republican opposition (guardian.co.uk)

• Anne Hathaway and Jennifer Lawrence are Rising Up – Are You? (pinkandblack-magazine.com)
• Everything you wanted to know about One Billion Rising (newstatesman.com)
• Women launch 1 Billion Rising campaign (fijitimes.com)
• Join MIGS to rise and dance to end violence against women! (medinstgenderstudies.org)
• Sing and Dance to End Violence Against Women: Break the Chain Video (synkroniciti.com)
• Strike, Dance, Rise (watchcroton.com)
• WMC Feature: Strike, Dance, Rise! Eve Ensler’s One Billion Rising (womensphilanthropy.typepad.com)
• One Billion Rising: ‘The time has come’ (telegraph.co.uk)
• Sofia University Public Programs Presents ‘One Billion Rising’ Event (prweb.com)
• #F14 One Billion Rising PDX (onebillionrisingpdx.wordpress.com)