On March 8th, people all over Spain joined much of the world in celebrating International Women’s Day. Although I’ve attended women’s marches in the United States, they have never seemed to coincide with this international holiday, and I realized that I had never actually been aware that March 8th was International Women’s Day. My host mom explained that there would be marches all over Spain that day, and that if I had interest in attending one, I could go at noon in Oviedo or later that evening in a nearby city, Gijón. She herself would be taking the day off class (many women choose to go on strike for work or school on this day) and attending the march in Oviedo. Although I was a bit tentative to attend a large event that could be categorized as a protest, I decided that the experience would outweigh my anxiety. I unfortunately missed out on Oviedo’s midday march since I had class that I didn’t want to skip, but later that afternoon I met with friends to take a bus over to Gijón.
Many of the students in the program have already been to Gijón, a bustling beach town just 30 minutes from Oviedo. I hadn’t yet made the trip, so I was excited both to experience a women’s march in Spain and to see the city.
When we arrived at the bus station to purchase tickets (only 4 euro round trip!), we discovered that many of the station’s workers were on strike. This caused a slight delay, but it was exciting to see how participation in the holiday was manifesting in Oviedo’s every day life.
Upon arrival in Gijón, I realized that this was definitely the biggest march I’d ever been a part of. According to reports, we were 6 of approximately 20,000 people that took to the streets that evening. A few of us were prepared with signs to feel more a part of the movement, and we entered the massive crowd in awe. Like the women’s marches I’ve been to previously, it was not only women in attendance, but entire families. Reading everyone’s signs and taking in the chants and songs was definitely good Spanish comprehension practice, and standing alongside such an energetic crowd was exhilarating.
What I witnessed that evening was fairly similar to what I’ve experienced at marches in the United States. There were groups of people singing and clapping, people wielding noisemakers and sparklers, hundreds of signs, and some distant fireworks, too. The majority of the women I saw wore purple, but I unfortunately didn’t get the memo about that.
The streets were so packed that we decided to take a small detour along the sidewalk to get to the front of the march. When we reached the end, we got to witness a few different speakers as well as a chorus.
Although it’s very true that you have to be cautious when attending any kind of march or protest while abroad, I can say that I’m very glad I went to participate in this one. It was unforgettable, and a great way to compare something I’m passionate about back home to a similar experience in Spain.
Til next week!
**Education Abroad and Overseas Campuses encourages students to actively engage in their host communities in a variety of ways; however, we caution students about the potential danger of participating in demonstrations or other events where large crowds gather and create the potential for violence to escalate. We advise that before deciding to go near or participate in a demonstration, students research and make themselves aware of potential safety or legal risks, as well as any pertinent laws about engaging in a demonstration as a visitor.