Femen activists stage first Arab world stunt

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**easysauce**

warning, blurry full frontal nudity

Spoiler:

http://rt.com/news/femen-tunisia-topless-protest-971/

Three young women from the women’s rights group Femen were detained as they staged a topless protest in the Tunisian capital of Tunis – their first public stunt in the Arab world.

The spectacle culminated in scuffles outside the capital’s main courthouse, as the group’s one German and two French female members stood by the railings shouting the slogan “Free Amina,” in reference to the young Tunisian woman who was earlier arrested and is hours away from being tried for protesting the policies of hardline Islamists.

Wearing only skimpy denim shorts, their bodies bearing the inscriptions “Brest Feed Revolution” and “Femen Extremist”, the ladies were quickly snatched up by authorities and taken inside the courthouse, as journalists stood by, observing the scene.

Tunisia, being a socially conservative country, saw a number of witnesses, including lawyers, try to cover up the young women and attack some of the journalists, claiming they were giving the activists a platform for their antics. Once inside the building, the lawyers followed the police and the women, singing the country’s national anthem and shouting “Get out!” – the words often heard during Tunisia’s own Arab Spring of January 2011.

Six of the journalists (among them one from Reuters and another from France’s Canal+) were also detained, but let go after giving statements about the event.

"An inquiry has been opened and they will be placed under arrest and brought to trial," said the justice ministry’s spokesman to AFP, also noting that indecency in Tunisia is punishable by six months in prison, adding that the female activists will not escape trial.

Martine Gambard-Trebucien, the French consul in Tunisia, has testified to the women’s condition, telling the reporters they were “fine.”

"It is the first action that we have taken in the Arab world... I prepared this international team in Paris and they were sent yesterday to Tunis," said Femen leader Inna Shevchenko to AFP in a phone conversation. "These countries and these totalitarian regimes prey on women. We don't take any notice of this kind," she concluded.

Despite this being the first show of such action in the Arab world, some of the group’s most recent run-ins with police also included the Turkish capital, Istanbul.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel also could not avoid getting an eyeful of bare-breasted protest at the Hannover Messe technology show in April of this year, whereupon the president later joyfully remarked to journalists, “We knew it was coming. You should thank the Ukrainian girls for helping you promote the fair.”

**Gentleman_Jellyfish**

Looks like that one woman slapped her in the second picture.

**Somedude593**

Two french and one german protester stage a protest outside their own countries with no support i can see from within the country itself. Were they just seeking attention for the case or actually hoping to fight it because likeliness of the latter actually happening seems negligible if best.

**Khornholio**

Viva la Revolution!

**rubiksnoob**

We need more protests of this nature.

**Howard A Treesong**

I support them because they're being non violent and if putting themselves at risk by taking their clothes off is what it takes to draw any attention to cases such as this woman being on trial for protesting against hard line Islamists, then good on them. They were non violent, which is more than can be said of the public reaction to them.

**notprop**

I may be becoming a little OCP in my old age but I approve that they ranked in both height and er...size.

More than that I wonder if they will be deported, imprisoned or maybe stoned?

Funny that they did this is a part of the world where no media outlet will run anything like this sort of story, certainly not with images.

**unmercifulconker**

Peaceful and fun to watch, I approve of this form of protest.

**Howard A Treesong**

Also OP, it's not 'full frontal nudity', they're topless.

**notprop**

I know, that's really disappointing....for feminism I mean. Lady parts make a much stronger point in the face of Islamists.

**Frazzled**

Howard A Treesong wrote:
I support them because they're being non violent and if putting themselves at risk by taking their clothes off is what it takes to draw any attention to cases such as this woman being on trial for protesting against hard line Islamists, then good on them. They were non violent, which is more than can be said of the public reaction to them.

It would be better if they worked out a little more first though.

**Palindrome**

Frazzled wrote:

It would be better if they worked out a little more first though.

You know that thread about Michelle Bachmann where you were going on about sexism? Yeah.

**scarletsquig**

I love the banner the one on the right is holding up.

Hairy armpits would have made a better statement, and warded off the dudes going

.

**Frazzled**

Palindrome wrote:
Frazzled wrote:

It would be better if they worked out a little more first though.

You know that thread about Michelle Bachmann where you were going on about sexism? Yeah.

Not at all. I'd hope any male protesters would work out too.

**MeanGreenStompa**

Show your taters, 6 months in prison.

Beat and rape a woman, you must marry her so you can beat and rape her in the privacy of your own home.

ALLAHU ACKBAR! That's life in the 10th century bitches, or as we like to call it, the Islamic world...

**KalashnikovMarine**

gak only six months in prison? They got off light, pulling gak like that in Muslim nations is a good way to get stoned or beheaded... you will also notice that Ms. Inna Shevchenko the brave and fearless leader of this little band of merry nudist protesters stayed safely out of the line of fire in Europe for this one. Despite it being such a vital protest and all.

**Dreadclaw69**

While I applaud the sentiments of what they were trying to achieve (highlighting the plight of women in Tunisia) I can't help but feel that their PETA-esque stunts will end up doing more harm than good in the long run. These three ladies are now facing jail time for a stunt that will probably only serve to underscore who women can be immoral among certain members of the elite, and the religious leaders. This just makes it harder for less sensationalist protest later.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

notprop wrote:
Funny that they did this is a part of the world where no media outlet will run anything like this sort of story, certainly not with images.

Did you miss the Daily Mail's coverage of FEMEN's stunt in Paris?

**Witzkatz**

Tunesia seems like a good 'testing ground' for these kind of protests in the Arab world, I'd say. Just read a bit about Tunesia on wikipedia - while Islam is the official religion of the country, shari'a law was abandoned in 1958 and hasn't been reinstated in any way - until now.

However, it seems that after the revolution of 2011, salafist islamists gained power and attention. The biggest party in the government has some islamistic tendencies, and their secretary general held a speech about a "liberation of Tunesia" and a "sixth Caliphate". As soon as French journalists became worried about this tendency, anti-French paroles became popular...

So, it seems that Tunesia is one of the more moderate countries in the region, but on the way to become more islamic-conservative or even full hardline. I guess the protesters were halfway sure they'd "only" get prison or equivalent punishment and not an execution.

Edit: In 2012, the Tunesian constitution was supposed to be changed - the equality of man and woman should be "changed" into the woman "complementing" the man. This seems to be a plan by religious groups to get closer to an Islamic state, this proposal was actually also supported by one woman. However, many protested against this, and apparently there are now discussions about this Article 28.

Homosexuality, of course, is still punishable by 3 years in jail and all the beatings the cops like to apply...

**daedalus**

This is certainly a trend to keep abreast of.

**notprop**

Dreadclaw69 wrote:
notprop wrote:
Funny that they did this is a part of the world where no media outlet will run anything like this sort of story, certainly not with images.

Did you miss the Daily Mail's coverage of FEMEN's stunt in Paris?

Nah, I caught that.

From mammary I felt the Paris demonstration was superior.

**Ahtman**

While these are some of the breast puns we've had in awhile, we need to nip this in the bud or we might lose sight of the original topic.

**Firehead158**

I call dibs on the redhead in the middle. Just need to get her a tan, and tighten up that belly, and we're good to go.

Ya know, I don't discourage topless protests. Why can't the protestors be the girls from the Hooters calendar or something like that? Dumb hippies.

**Cheesecat**

I approve of this protest more than the Paris one.

**MeanGreenStompa**

Firehead158 wrote:
I call dibs on the redhead in the middle. Just need to get her a tan, and tighten up that belly, and we're good to go.

Ya know, I don't discourage topless protests. Why can't the protestors be the girls from the Hooters calendar or something like that? Dumb hippies.

Are you a very beautiful man?

**azazel the cat**

Howard A Treesong wrote:I support them because they're being non violent and if putting themselves at risk by taking their clothes off is what it takes to draw any attention to cases such as this woman being on trial for protesting against hard line Islamists, then good on them. They were non violent, which is more than can be said of the public reaction to them.

I agree.

notprop wrote:I may be becoming a little OCP in my old age but I approve that they ranked in both height and er...size.

I think you mean OCD. Becoming a little OCP is when you get implanted with cybernetics.

**Jihadin**

I thought you get wet cyberware when yu join a corperation?

**Mannahnin**

Let's leave off the pun spam, thanks.

**Sigvatr**

FEMEN tried to invade the German TV show "Germany's Next Top Model" but were promptly, and rightfully so, delivered off the stage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsHO99F9yfo

**Tyranidcrusher**

That's Hilarious.

**Monster Rain**

At least they are protesting something meaningful this time.

I approve of this.