Italy gears up to say 'No' to violence against women

(ANSA) - ROME, NOV 24 - Italy is gearing up to mark theInternational Day for the elimination of violence against womenon Saturday against the backdrop of ongoing public anger overthe femicide of 22-year-old Giulia Cecchettin, who was murderedby her ex boyfriend on November 11.
   Planned events include processions, runs, walks, flash mobs,sit-ins, free gynaecological examinations and, above all, a lotof noise in a bid to break the silence on gender-based violenceand patriarchy.
   In Rome the feminist movement Non Una Di Meno has organised ademonstration march starting in Circo Massimo at 2:30 pm localtime and ending in Piazza San Giovanni, where participants willrattle their keys.
   The Lower House and Senate have also organised open-door eventswith the testimonies of women survivors of violence, and onSaturday evening the facade of the upper house of parliamentwill be lit up in red in memory of victims.
   In San Paolo station at 7 pm there will be a free solidaritytango event at which dancers are expected to wear red shows.
   In Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala will be present at an event title'Patriarchy Kills' and a red bench will be unveiled in thegarden of the Sormani Library in memory of women victims ofviolence, followed by the theatrical monologue 'Rape' by FrancaRame.
   In addition, 80,000 bread bags carrying the emergency numbersof the Hara-Bollate and Rho Anti-Violence Centre will bedistributed under the initiative 'Violence cannot be dailybread' involving more than 100 bakers in 17 municipalities inthe Milan area.
   In Turin, Non Una Di Meno has organised a procession startingfrom Piazza Carlo Felice at 3 pm and pass under the MoleAntonelliana, which will be illuminated in red for the day.
   Many other events have ben planned in Genoa, Bologna, Florence,Cagliari, Bari, Naples, Messina, Palermo and many other townsand cities up and down the country. (ANSA).