Women and men - dressed however they want, thank you - came out in force Sunday in Toronto to protest what they perceive as a callous attitude by the Toronto police regarding sexual assault.
Tongue-in-cheek and defiant in name, Slutwalk attracted about 1,000 people in Queen's Park and went off without a hitch, police said.
“It was very peaceful, and they got the message out that they wanted,” constable spokeswoman Wendy Drummond told CNN on Monday morning.
"We feel it was a huge success," Slutwalk organizer Sonya Barnett said in an e-mail to CNN. She said the crowd numbered closer to 4,000. "It was great to see that most people came out 'as they were,' not in the stereotypical idea of slut," she said. "Our definition is about attitude, not appearance. Just like sexual assault is not about appearance."
The demonstrators, some dressed in miniskirts and holding provocative slogans, clearly wanted to rouse Toronto residents and raise awareness about a very serious topic: sexual assault. In doing so, protesters staked their claim to take a derogatory term and wrestle it back.
"Just 'cause I'm a slut doesn't mean I want to be raped," said one female protester, according to CNN affiliate CTV.
"We should be beyond the myths of people ‘asking' or ‘deserving' to be assaulted due to their behaviour or appearance," Heather Jarvis, a movement co-founder, wrote to CTV.
The Slutwalk protest was organized in part in response to comments made in January by police Constable Michael Sanguinetti. Speaking to students at York University about community safety tips, Sanguinetti said, “Women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimized,” according to media reports.
Faculty and students at the university had been on guard since a wave of sexual assaults on the campus in 2008. But the police officers' visit in January, part of a community awareness initiative, was overshadowed by the constable's widely reported remarks.
Students expressed outrage that it took Toronto police nearly a month to issue an apology, written by Sanguinetti and addressed to York students and staff. “These comments were entirely inappropriate and I can assure you, the officer understands that clearly," Toronto police spokesman Mark Pugash said in media reports.
But by then, the anger had reached a boiling point.
Barnett, who left a comment on an article about the incident on the York University school newspaper’s website, called for a demonstration and linked a Facebook page. The page had more than 4,500 likes as of Monday morning.
On Monday, Drummond said Toronto police have continually addressed the issue since the January incident and are seeking to move on.
Barnett said this is not the end of Slutwalk.
"In looking to the future, we will be working on initiatives to continue spreading the word," she said. "As SlutWalk Toronto was initially conceived to be a one-time event, the response has been so incredible that we are considering this to be an annual event."
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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Thank you Karl!!!!! Everything you said is so true. It is refreshing to read comments such as yours. Although I don't personally dress that way, I don't believe that ANY person has the right to be treated like dirt.
@Liz: How about she say "No thanks I'm not interested"? Is a little courtesy too much to ask considering I'm not some drunk who's being disrespectful and not trying to get her in the back seat of my car in the parking lot? Lol MANY women are playing just as many games as men. I've also dated some women who were complete pigs. I'm so tired of everyone treating girls like delicate flowers and men as the bad guy. Women like saying no. There are many women musicians who champion the games girls play, so spew your nonsense to someone who doesn't know the game being played. If you don't want to be approached by a guy then go to a church social not a club, but please don't pretend women are chaste angels that never play games. Not all men are dumb like you seem to think I am.
Like karl said some women are jerks, but to say that "women like saying no." it makes you look like a huge jerk. I'm sure women would love to go to church groups to go out and have fun with their girls, especially when they want to drink. You can't generalize all girls because you herd a song or because some women at the bars don't want your attention. Maybe when sick men stop attacking women we wont have this idea of women being delicate flowers. It isn;t fair to make all men sound like rapist, nor is it fair to say that all women are teases. To say that women who don't want to go to "church groups" to have a fun evening but don't want to be bothered by others and might get fed up after 10 guys continuously bother them deserve to be attacked makes you like a uneducated idiot which i'm sure the church doesnt need more of.
Again you took it all personally. This present generation has few if any manners, do not follow the protocols of earlier generations, treat each other as objects instead of people deserving of respect and think that respect is something that is reserved for close friends only. They also think that respect means ownership. That is control and abuse, not respect. People play games. Know that they do and move on. Escalating your frustration does no one any good. Expect nothing and when something good happens you can be pleasantly surprised. You do not know these people and society has a very bad habit of promoting EXCLUSION as some kind of superior way of being. It is not and it limits society as a whole. Inclusion is the only way to move forward. Knowing your motives, which can be picked up by anyone is a great place to start looking at your intentions. Instead of complaining about the games others play, look at the ones that YOU play. Also if a man is too needy, he comes across a whimpy. Too much work – I'm not his mother.
We all know *some* women are on ego trips, and dress provocativly just to see how many men they can reject. Yes, that happens. We also know that there are women who want to look nice and hang out with their friends and have a drink and dance. Just because a woman looks nice, and goes to a club with her friends, does NOT mean she is their with any ulterior motive, holding a score card. Women should have enough tact to say "no thanks" without making a guy feel like a total schmuck, but conversely, when told "no thank you", men should not automatically take it as an insult and attack said woman.
The purpose of this walk was to call attention to violence against women, and that the way they dress isn't "asking for it". No one in the world dresses a certain way hoping they get r*aped. That's nonsense, and if any man really believes that, they're not men at all.
It is a crime of violence and whose motives are that of a predator: women, children, boys, girls, teenagers even the elderly. It is narrow minded ignorance to believe the caused of these groups being attacked is due to inappropiate dress. I believe the real cause is po rno graph¥ and just being evil.
...men are victims of this crime, too.
Promoting lustful behavior in men, women, & children. We live in a fallen world that Jesus died for. Repent for the Kingdom Of God is at hand. You choose : forgiveness or judgement
Women don't deserve to be assaulted for dressing provocatively but it certainly does raise the risk of being assaulted. If you chose to take said risk knowing it exists then you need to live with the consequences.
I like the lady gaga/meat suit/bear example. Don't blame others for a risk you took. The world isn't fair, so deal with it.
Then I don't want to hear any complaint when you or your family members are injured in a car accident by a drunk driver. After all, you were asking for it by leaving your house, right?
Newsflash: It doesn't matter what she is wearing. You don't get to touch people without their permission. You were supposed to learn that in Kindergarten. Perhaps a remedial class is in order.
doub: Ok, maybe I'll walk around the forest in my Lady Gaga-like meat outfit and blame the bears when they devour me.
Bad analogy unless you think there is no difference between men and wild animals. The better analogy is someone driving around in a flash car or wearing a Rolex watch. Society says that makes them cool and someone who steals the car or the watch a criminal. I’ve never heard a police official say it was their fault for driving around or dressing like a pimp.
Wow! In the US (or at least the universities I've been to) the police take this very seriously. If you are so much as suspected, you will be kicked out for X number of years, if you're let back in at all. You can't finish your degree, and what other school would want you?
There is a difference when woman get hit on a at a bar and being attacked in a dark alley.
I think "Arrested Development" said it best.... "Girls with low self Esteem – Part V"
If you dress like a police officer, you will be treated like a cop!
You dress like a doctor, you will be treated like a doctor!
If you dress like a ho who wants to be victimized, you will eventually end up being victimized!!!
No, its not right - but it is truth that your appearance/mannerisms determine how you will be treated!
You have issues if your going to punch a women in the face.
Sicko. I don't punch women in the face. I get my girlfriend to do it for me.
If a women dresses scantily, it's because she's proud of the body she has, not because she's an idiot. If you think punching a woman is okay, I REALLY think you should seek professional help. No one deserves to be punched because of the way they dress.
What's wrong with cows?