Ottawa community members gathered at the Supreme Court of Canada with decorative signs on March 8 to participate in Riot Girl: a march focused on fighting the rise of facism and advocating for women’s rights.
The crowd marched through the streets of downtown Ottawa, loudly chanting “Hey-hey. ho-ho. Misogyny has got to go,” and “The people united, will never be defeated.”
Indigenous, Asian and 2SLGBTQ+ community members, as well as sex workers, were among the rally’s participants.
Decay Events, a Montreal and Ottawa-based organization advocating for marginalized groups, worked with local organizations and activists to organize Riot Girl.
The rally’s name was influenced by a musical genre and underground feminist punk movement known as “Riot grrrl.” In the 1990s, this movement challenged norms within society by speaking out on issues such as misogyny and patriarchy through music.
Hannah Lyle, one of the rally’s collaborators, said one of the main messages during the march was to show the government that women aren’t afraid to stand in solidarity for their rights.
“Facism really thrives on alienation and separation from community, so it creates an acceptable form of womanhood that excludes most women,” Lyle said. “It really pushes us to just have a value in only what we can produce for the patriarchy.
“We stand together as a collective.”
Lyle said the march also aimed to bring a small group of women together to advocate for ending gender-based violence, supporting trans-inclusivity, 2SLGBTQ+ rights and Indigenous sovereignty.
She said the rise in fascism can be attributed to the U.S. President Donald Trump’s government, the Freedom Convoy and online hate against trans people.
“All people suffer under patriarchal thinking and fascist ideals, and under capitalism as well,” Lyle said. “Feminism really aims to free [w
omen] up from historical systems of control.”
Lim said she participated in the march because she has heard firsthand about Asian women’s experiences of being harassed in public.
“It’s about coming together to be in defiance of the colonial machine and system under this white patriarchal structure that is targeting all of us in different ways,” she said.
Another protester, Emily Johnson, said her experiences as a woman have allowed her to see the unequal treatment that Canadian women face.
Statistics from the Canadian Women’s Foundation show women in Canada face increased risk of violence, economic inequality and food insecurity.
“I think it’s very important to advocate for the rights that people have been [advocating] for us for so long, especially as we’re seeing the Western descent into facism,” Johnson said. “When a group of people is oppressed, you never ever stop fighting.”
Gillian, another individual at the protest who chose not to give their last name because they desired privacy, said the protest fostered a space where people were connected. By attending the march, they said they felt less alone in joining the fight for women’s rights.
“It’s important because so much of the push right now is to erase queer people, erase marginalized people and erase trans people,” Gillian said.
“It’s important to show that we’re visible, we’re here, and we’re fighting back.”
Featured Image by Mackenzie Po.
