Thousands of protesters marched through Paris on Saturday to demand a national wake-up call and more government investment to prevent deadly domestic violence against women, a problem that President Emmanuel Macron calls "France's shame." At Saturday's march, French film and TV stars joined abuse victims and activists calling for an end to "femicide." Many held banners reading "Sick of Rape."
A wave of purple flags and signs snaked from the Place de la Republique through eastern Paris amid an unprecedented public campaign to decry violence against women – and honor the 130 women that activists say have been killed in France this year by a current or former partner. That's about one every two or three days.
While France has a progressive reputation and pushes for women's rights around the world, it has among the highest rates in Europe of domestic violence, in part because of poor police response to reports of abuse. Many of the women killed this year had previously sought help from police. In France, lawyers and victims' advocates say they're encouraged by the new national conversation, which they say marks a departure from decades of denial.
