International Day to
End Violence Against Sex Workers

ESPU events press release: Word .doc or .pdf.

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Tucson, AZ

SWOP-AZ (Tucson) will sponsor a memorial processional beginning at 6pm in front of the Tucson Police Dept at the sw corner of Scott & McClintock. We will proceed through the Tucson Community Center to the El Tiradito Shrine at Main and Cushing Street and begin a remembrance ceremony at 6:45 there. Candlelight vigil, reading of names, some quiet music and poetry, and an opportunity for those who wish to speak about the loss of co-workers. El Tiradito (“the castaway”) is an historic site revolving around a tale of love, sex and murder. It is said that during the monsoons, you can hear the sobbing cries of grieving.

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Washington, DC

4-6pm at St aloysius church at north capitol and k streets nw
Washington dc.  News Release December 17, 2007 Contact: Darby
Hickey 202.829.2103 Gigi Thomas via HIPS Hotline
800-676-4477International Day to End Violence against Sex Workers in Washington, DC Vigil and
march to call for an end to violence against sex workers Monday December
17, 2007 4:00-6:00pmNorth Capitol and K Streets NW Washington
DC Sponsored by HIPS, Different Avenues, Alliance for a Safe & Diverse DCThis
December 17th marks the 5th Annual International Day to End Violence
Against Sex Workers. Local community members will commemorate the event with
a vigil and march. Organizations in the District of Columbia will also
release preliminary findings from a community based research project,
an initiative funded by the Sociological Initiatives Foundation, into
the affects of prostitution policies on transpeople, the homeless, and
other communities in DC. A survey of 115 people across the District of
Columbia who have been affected by anti-prostitution policies and other
regulations of public space has revealed disturbing information. 58% of
survey respondents reported negative experiences during interactions
with police and when locked up. Respondents reported: being insulted,
humiliated or verbally abused by officers; being falsely arrested because
officers “profiled the person as a prostitute;” confiscation or
destruction of condoms and other safe sex supplies by officers during
interactions; experiencing discrimination because of immigrant status and/or
perceived or actual inability to speak English; being asked to provide
sexual favors or services to police officers; and being strip searched
by police officers in public. “It saddens me to know that people who
the police believe to be prostitutes are treated so unfairly,”
commented Skytrinia Berkeley an advocate of Different Avenues, a co-sponsor
of today’s event. “The study also shows that most of these people
have been in situations where they needed help from the police
themselves. Yet 50% said they had a negative experience when contacting the
police to report violence and other crimes committed against them. Surely
we can do better in the District of Columbia to create an environment
where everyone in need is protected by the police.” Another service
provision agency and co-sponsor of today’s event, HIPS, expressed dismay
at the reports of confiscation and destruction of condoms and other
materials. “Its estimated that 1 in 20 people in Washington is living
with HIV/AIDS. Condoms save lives and should never be destroyed during
police checks,” said Gigi Thomas of HIPS.  The International Day to End
Violence Against Sex Workers has empowered workers from over 100 cities
around the world to come together and organize against discrimination
and remember victims of violence. This event was created to call
attention to hate crimes committed against sex workers all over the globe.
Join us as we hold this vigil in remembrance of the 64 reported murders
of sex workers in 2006, and stand in solidarity with sex workers
worldwide. Press is invited to cover and photograph this event.

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Bangladesh
 

Rehabilitation Centre for Prostitutes And Rootless Children (PARC) observing the day for 2nd Time in Bangladesh in 04 Divisional Cilty out of 06 with its Development Partners . Schedules are :

In Chittagong Division:

Organized by : Rehabilitation Centre for Prostitutes And Rootless Children (PARC) and Jana Uddog : A Civil Society Organization
Time and Venue : 9-30 A.M (Local) in front of Chittagong Press Club
Contact Person : Md. Nazrul Islam (Manna), Chief Executive , PARC, Cell : 01819-644960, Email : parc_ngo@yahoo.com

In Jessor Division :

Organized by : Sumaj Foundation in Collaboration with Rehabilitation Centre for Prostitutes And Rootless Children (PARC)
Time and Venue : 10-00 A.M (Local) in front of Chuadanga Bus Stand, Jessor
Contact Person : Md. Mijib-ud-Dawla Kanak, Executive Director, Sumaj Foundation, Cell : 01711397441, Email : shusmajbd@yahoo.com

In Khulna City :

Organized by : Bangladsh Resource Improvement Centre and Allies initiated by Rehabilitation Centre for Prostitutes And Rootless Children (PARC)
Time and Venue : 10.00 A.M-12.00 A.M (Local) on Dhaka –Khulna High Way, Dwladpur, Khulna
Contact Person : A.S.M Wahidul , Executive Director , BRIC, Cell : 01715707865, Email : bricngo@yahoo.com

In Sylhet City

Organized by : Right Foundation
Initiated by : Rehabilitation Centre for Prostitutes And Rootless Children (PARC)
Time and Venue : 9-30 A.M (Local) in front of Chittagong Press Club, Sylhet
Contact Person : Md.Abul Kalam Azad, Chief Executive , Right Foundation, Cell : 01711165318

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Christchurch, New Zealand

This year we will mark this annual event on the 15 December 2007 with a bbq on the grassed area of a church that supports street based sex workers.

During this time we will be displaying the ribbons that were collected during last year’s public appeal. They have been crafted into a beautiful wall hanging, symbolising that we hope public support for sex workers will eventually overwhelm and end violence directed against us.

Our thoughts will be with all the Sex workers of the world who have experienced, witnessed or been touched by violence related to our work.

 

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Australia

A fortnight of International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers

Human Rights &Pro Sex Worker Rights Exhibition, &Launch of Petition against the Registration of Sex Workers in the Northern Territory
6th Dec, 5.30 pm, Supreme Court, State Square, Darwin

This Installation highlights that human rights protocols are selectively being ignored by governments globally in relation to sex workers. Unsafe working conditions, stigma and discrimination still remains, destroying lives of many sex workers. The viewer is asked to reflect and think about their own judgments on sex workers. The wig, clothing and shoes have all been worn by sex workers at work.

"The registration of individual sex workers is a violation of human, working and civil rights. Sex workers have the right to privacy, the right to work in an occupation of choice, the right to live and work free from violence and harassment, the right to live free from discrimination, vilification, trafficking and prohibition."

"We want working rights, human rights, union rights – WITH EQUALITY"

Salis

Launch of Sex Worker Law Resource 7th Dec, 3.30pm, Supreme Court, State Square, Darwin These education resources have been produced by sex workers as not just peer educators but as community educators. Out of constant struggle for sex workers voices to be heard, are those that will speak out proud; individual sex workers, EMPOWER, Scarlet Alliance.. we are proud to have produced such amazing resources! Launched by resource editor, Alina Thomas

International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers Stall In Darwin 17th Dec, Supreme Court, State Square, Darwin.

Community education stall in middle of city hub, mall whore art exhibits, information, petition + safe sex workers rights info accompanying red umbrella campaign highlighting ending violence against sex workers by addressing working rights. All welcome!

International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers Protest In Sydney 5pm, 13th December, 28 Margaret St, corner of York Street, Sydney, nearest train station Wynyard. Sex Workers in Sydney city will carry red umbrellas for the last time in 2007, against the brothel closure laws by the Iemma Government, and in favour of better local council sex industry policy.

For more information concerning the events click here

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Montréal, Canada

(an english message will follow)

Journée Internationale pour contrer la violence

Ensemble, prenons le temps de penser à nos sœurs et frères qui ont
subi de la violence et à ceux et celles qui nous ont quitté…

Et disons : C'est assez.

Amener votre parapluie rouge, votre chaleur et solidarité.

Le départ se fera à 17h à partir du métro Frontenac

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5th International Day to End Violence
Against Sex Workers

December 17h, 2007

Join Stella and our friends and allies for a Red Umbrella March, an
activity for the
International day to End Violence Against Sex Workers.

For more detail call Stella at 514-285-1599

International Day to End Violence

Together we will take the time to honour our sisters and brothers who
have experienced violence at work and those we have loved and lost...

Bring your red umbrella, your warmth and your solidarity.

And to say: Enough is Enough!!!

We will depart at 5pm at Frontenac Metro

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Ontario, Canada

Candlelit vigil at Totem Pole Park (Centennial Park), St. Catharines begining at 5pm - Bring red umbrella!

 Terry's Evergreen Addiction Recovery Services & The Sex Trade Task Force
are holding the first in the region event, a candlelit vigil at Totem Pole
Park, St. Catharines, Ontario beginning at 5 p.m. This region has
experienced the murders of 6 sex workers. Family of one of the murder
victims will speak at the vigil, as will academics from Brock University's
Women's Studies and Sociology Departments. Advocates, academics, social
service agencies and community members are banding together in solidarity -
all welcome!

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Ottawa, CA

All details can be found on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=9016811884

Ottawa events consist of 3 parts:

1. Meet us at 5pm at the corner of Laurier & Cumberland for the MARCH OF THE RED UMBRELLAS. Bring a red umbrella (or anything bright and red!) and walk with us to the Human Rights Monument.
2. Join us at 5:30pm at the Human Rights Monument (Elgin & Lisgar) for a candlelight vigil. Sex workers and our allies will speak about federal and local phenomena that increase the violence we face in our lives and work.
3. Venus Envy (320 Lisgar, just off Bank) will host us for a reception starting at 6:15pm. Tea, coffee &homemade treats will be served. We'll screen a short documentary and have an open mic for sex workers and our allies to remember lost friends, share stories and talk to each other about how we can make our lives as Ottawa sex workers free of fear and violence!

Email womens.health@aco-cso.ca or mens.health@aco-cso.ca for any other info

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Toronto, CA

Monday the 17th of December
The vigil will be held in Allan Garden's (Sherbourne and Carlton) at 7pm
To honour the women from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside and to highlight the unsolved case of our brothers and sisters across Canada who have been murdered and their killing go uninvestigated due to the apathy and ineffectiveness of many police forces across Canada.
It is also time to call on all levels of government to have inquiry into the murders in Vancouver. I am asking you all to post this and spread the word. And if any of you need to contact me for any further information please do. I look forward to see you there. It is important that we finally show all families cross Canada who have lost a love to violence that we remember, support them, and will see justice is done to honour those who have lost their lives because they have been deemed to be people who supposedly live this horrible term of high risk lifestyle, which to me is just another label society puts on our sister and brothers to blame them for what has happened to them. It is time to hold the parties involved accountable.


Thank you,
Anastasia Kuzyk

Sex Workers' Alliance of Toronto
416-921-7928

GERMANY

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GERMANY

Int. Gedenk- und Aktionstag 17. Dezember

"Stoppt Gewalt gegen Sexarbeiter"

"Wir fordern Rechte gegen Unrecht"

"Gewalt im Sexbiz kommt vor wie überall.- Es gibt keine Ausrede!- Nur Rechte verhindern Unrecht. Stoppt Gewalt gegen SexarbeiterInnen!"

Unterstütze diesen sich zum 5ten mal jährenden Gedenktag, der auf eine Initiative in den U.S.A. von Dr. Annie Sprinkle aus dem Jahre 2002 zurückgeht und stelle eine Kerze mit dem Zitat z.B. im Fenster auf oder organisiere in deiner Stadt und in deinem Umfeld eine Zeit des Gedenken.



To commemorate / Wir gedenken:
· an die ermordete Rosemarie Nitribitt, was nie aufgeklärt wurde,
· der 13jährigen Eliza Armstrong, deren Verkauf der Verleger und Autor William Thomas Stead organisiert und fingiert hat, um gegen den Menschenhandel (white slavery) das Buch "The Maiden Tribute of Modern Babylon" zu publizieren,
· an den Robert Witzel und weitere über 24 Jungen und junge Männer, die in Hannover von Fritz Haarmann totgebissen wurden,
· an die 48 ermodeten Frauen, die der Green River Killer in den U.S.A. gestanden hat,
· den über fünf ermordeten Frauen im englischen Suffolk bei der Stadt Ipswich,
· Marnie Frey,
· den Frauen Sereena Abotsway, Georgina Papin, Andrea Joesbury, Brenda Wolfe und Mona Wilson und weiteren von insgesamt 65 Frauen, die ein 58-jähriger kanadischen Schweinefarmer Robert William Pickton auf seinem Hof in Port Coquitlam in British Columbia bei Vancouver getötet hat,
· der Tote im Stundenhotel am Kölner Eigelstein,
· den 30 Frauen, deren Leichen in einem Massengrab im Ural in Rußland gefunden würden,
· an die 16 Frauen, die in der heiligen Iranischen Stadt Mashad im Zeitraum von einem Jahr ermordert wurden,
· den 460 Frauen, die seit 1993 ermordet worden sind und den mehr als 600 Frauen, die verschwunden sind in der nordmexikanischen Stadt Ciudad Juárez , Chihuahua ,
· an die zwei ermordeten Frauen in Pakistan ,
· der Frau, die von der amerikanischen Richterin nicht als von den mehreren Männern vergewaltigt anerkannt wurde, weil sie ja als Prostituierte angereist war,
· den Frauen in amerikanischen Massagesalons, die ohne Einwilligung von einem Ethikprofessor der Uni San Francisco gefilmt wurden, um sein Konzept der sog. Zwangsprostitution zu illustrieren,
· der Tote von Mistelbach,
· der überfallenen 37jährigen, die von zwei Tätern in ihrer Wohnung in der Burbacher Straße in Kessenich verletzt wurde,
· an die ermordete 40jährige zweifache Mutter Jolanta L. aus der Kastellstraße in Wiesbaden ,
· den fünf Sexarbeiterinnen, die Volker Eckert ermordet und geschändet hat,
· an die vielen unbekannten und bisher namenlos gebliebenen Sexarbeiter und Sexarbeiterinnen, die Opfer von Gewalt oder Willkür wurden,
· den vielen Frauen in der Sexarbeit, die von den Medien vorgeführt wurden, um Einschaltquoten zu generieren,
Int. Gedenk- und Aktionstag 17. Dezember





Background info:
http://sexworker.at/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=803

Remembrance is not enough / Nur zu erinnern reicht nicht.

Start action / Taten müssen folgen.
Teach safety / Sicherheit muß gelehrt werden.
We just started setting up a new web site:
Sex Worker Safety
www.sexworker.at/sicherheit

Forum: Sex Worker Safety First
www.sexworker.at/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=90

Listing of safety tips with printable leaflet
www.sexworker.at/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=27681#27681

eCard Collection
www.sexworker.at/phpBB2/ecard.php


www.sexworker.at  The sex work information clearing house in the German internet

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香港(Hong Kong)

We are going to have a protest on Dec 17 against the police abuse of power against sex workers. We will march to the Police Headquarters, present the votes for the 10 most inhuman violations of sex workers' rights to the police. Thus, it'll be great if you can help us to spread further our online election. We have posted the information about this election for the most inhuman violations of sex workers' rights on our website www.ziteng.org.hk. for further information: 2007年十大侵犯姐姐仔人權事件選舉 (2007 Election of the 10 most cruel violation of sex workers’ human rights )

Dec 17 Protest against police violence and abuse against sex workers
venue: Southern Playground, Wanchai (MTR Wanchai station exit A4)
time: 10.30am
Contact: Elaine Lam, Zi Teng
email: ziteng@hkstar.com
website: www.ziteng.org.hk
Tel: 2332-7182

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South Africa

Hillbrow sex workers in south africa will observe the day and commemorate their lost colleques murdered by their brutal clients and police brutality

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Taiwan

Hello friends

This is COSWAS from Taiwan. We support the Anti-Violence toward sex-wokers with the picture of our sister , Ms Quan , who had committed suicide due to the refusal of Taiwan government on decriminalizing sex workers last year.
Wish all sex-workers in the world work in safe and happy condition.
And Merry X’mas.

COSWAS,Taiwan

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SWIRL

Sex Workers' Internet Radio Lounge has created two downloadable MP3 PSAs about International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers.

The first is a PSA with basic information and a link SWOP:
http://emedia.art.sunysb.edu/swirl/Dec17PSA.mp3

The second is an MP3 of Annie Sprinkle's 10 Things You Can Do to Participate in International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers:
http://emedia.art.sunysb.edu/swirl/10ThingsPSA.mp3

To download MP3s:
Mac users - Option/Click
PC users - Control/Right click

Feel free to download these MP3s and use them on your webcast, Podcast, radio show, put links on your website, or whatever. Spread the word.