Thousands of students protest in Barcelona for a 'feminist' education system

Thousands of students have gathered in Barcelona to protest on International Women's Day. 

Up to 4,000 university and high school students marched from Plaça Universitat to Plaça Sant Jaume, in front of the Catalan government headquarters building, to call for an "authentically" feminist education system. 

To them, the current learning model is another "cog" of the capitalist and patriarchal structure that continues to exploit women. 

The demonstration was organized by the Students' Union of the Catalan Countries (SEPC) and also by groups such as the Union of Free and Combative Students of Catalonia.

During the protest, which took place in a festive atmosphere, chants such as 'the streets will be feminist', 'no to privatisation' and 'If you touch one of us, you touch us all' were heard.

'Feminism is a fight'

Shortly before noon, Plaça Universitat began to fill up with students and other supporters. 

'Feminism is a fight' was the slogan on the banner that led the march, which Barcelona's local police, the Guàrdia Urbana, said was attended by 3,300 people. 

Other chants included "Vox and PP, they are the same shit"; "Get rosaries away from our ovaries"; "With or without clothes, don't touch my body"; "No, no, no to privatization"; and "If you use it to rape, we'll cut it off." 

Protesters marched towards Plaça Catalunya until Urquinaona, where some of the demonstrators approached the Barcelona Education Consortium, and finally to Plaça Sant Jaume, where the demonstration ended. 

"A system that perpetuates violence"  

Marta Daviu, national spokesperson for the Students' Union of the Catalan Countries, explained that working-class students took to the streets because they are "fed up with this system that perpetuates violence" against women. 

Daviu said that classrooms "are not a safe space" and that the "only" way to become a feminist society is via co-education and an intrinsically public system. 

She said that posturing from institutions displaying purple for International Women's Day "does not help the feminist struggle," and that the protests showed that feminists remain organized. 

Sofia Vázquez, spokesperson for the Union of Free and Combative Students of Catalonia, explained that this year's motto is 'They continue to kill and rape us' since "despite the progressive [Spanish] government of the Socialists and Unidas Podemos, absolutely nothing has changed here." 

Vázquez said that it is necessary to defend the victories that have been achieved, such as the 'only yes means yes' law on consent, and claimed that the controversy surrounding the new law is down to "fascist" judges. 

Júlia, 21 years old, explained that she joined the feminist strike to fight for women's rights, "for those who are no longer there and for those who have not been able to come." 

17-year-old Berta traveled 30km to Barcelona from Granollers to "raise her voice and demand equality" between men and women.