Thug punches woman in Paris after she objects to his wolf whistling
Marie Laguerre is fighting against sexual harassment after she was assaulted in broad daylight in Paris. The video, which has now received worldwide attention, shows Marie walking back home when she comes across a man who 'made dirty noises, commented and whistled. Instead of keeping quiet, Marie decides to fight against it as she screams, "Shut up!" While Marie thought that the man had not heard her, after a couple of seconds, the man threw an ashtray at Marie, who then shouted more insults. Despite this, Marie knew that she was not going to back down and let the man say whatever he pleased. Instead, she stood firm in her decision to fight back harassment.
I felt hatred," she said, as reported by Daily Mail. I refused to be demeaned, it was humiliating. I refused to look down, I looked him right in the eyes, I was not going to apologize." It was then that the man walked up to her and slapped her around the face which left her with swelling around the cheekbones. "I was in pain, but it happened in a few seconds so I did not realize it right away," she added. However, one of the things people felt angered about in the video was how people sitting in the cafe did very little to help Marie out.
Everyone who was seated there, including the man who picks up a chair, do not do anything to ensure that the assailant away from Marie. Despite this, Marie said, "To all those who say that the witnesses did not react well enough – everything happened very quickly and they did not have time to understand the situation."
"The attacker was dangerous. After the attack, I came back and the witnesses were very supportive, please don't lynch them," she further added. The attack has caused a national debate on how woman are treated on the streets of France. Since the attack, things have been different for Marie as she notes, "I feel my adrenaline and stress levels rise when I'm in the street." She also raised her voice about what she thinks the problem is in society.
"The problem is the systematic insecurity that women suffer as a result of men. Some men think that the street belongs to them and that we have no business being there," she said. Sharing the video on her Facebook page, Marie wrote, "This is not the only incident. Harassment is every day. To those men who think anything goes in the street, who allow themselves to humiliate us and who can not stand being offended, it is unacceptable." She further added, "It is time for this kind of behavior to STOP. #AllWomenTogether."
Since the attack, prosecutors have launched an inquiry into 'violence and sexual harassment,' as police try and find the attacker. French Equalities Minister Marlene Schiappa also commented on the incident as she said that she was 'outraged but unfortunately not surprised' by what had happened." "The political response must be strong," she noted. A new government bill will outlaw 'annoying, following, and threatening a woman,' and the first fines are likely to be introduced this autumn.