Beyond the petroleuses
January 23, 2016 12:17 AM Subscribe
What are your best examples of women's or feminist organizing behind the barricades in urban uprisings?
Best answer: Russian Revolution: started by a women's protest over bread shortages on International Women's Day
1934 Minnesota Teamsters strike: women flying squads fight police
Paris Commune: women were involved in this so thoroughly that the popular conception of the Commune with conservatives was a molotov-cocktail throwing woman (I presume you are alluding to this in the title)
French Revolution: Women's march on Versailles to (as it turned out) take the King and his family back to Paris
Spanish Civil War: many involvements, including this famous photo and this famous speech
Cuban Revolution: many women involved in the llano division of the July 26th Movement
posted by Noisy Pink Bubbles at 5:53 AM on January 23, 2016 [4 favorites]
1934 Minnesota Teamsters strike: women flying squads fight police
Paris Commune: women were involved in this so thoroughly that the popular conception of the Commune with conservatives was a molotov-cocktail throwing woman (I presume you are alluding to this in the title)
French Revolution: Women's march on Versailles to (as it turned out) take the King and his family back to Paris
Spanish Civil War: many involvements, including this famous photo and this famous speech
Cuban Revolution: many women involved in the llano division of the July 26th Movement
posted by Noisy Pink Bubbles at 5:53 AM on January 23, 2016 [4 favorites]
Best answer: Also many examples during the Arab Spring, including a Nobel Prize winner
posted by Noisy Pink Bubbles at 6:02 AM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Noisy Pink Bubbles at 6:02 AM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
Currently, the Knitting Nannas Against Gas (KNAG) in Australia are front and central in the campaign against coal seam gas mining throughout two states. They are not necessarily in the urban areas, but in the areas where CSG mining is occurring.
posted by Thella at 11:27 AM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Thella at 11:27 AM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
Best answer: My home town, Zaragoza, was besieged twice by Napoleonic armies during the Peninsular War, our War of Independence. Since the civilian population got caught in the fight and it devolved into brutal house-by-house fighting, there is a roster of women participating in the fights. Some of them like Agustina de Aragón got turned into a symbol of resistance, but they also included other women from all strata of society, from the Countess of Bureta to the commoners Casta Álvarez or Manuela Sancho to Madre María Rafols, a nun.
Later on, the 5th of March of 1838, the population rose against invading Carlist troops, expelling them from the city. As in the former sieges, the defenders included women, too, throwing heavy objects or boiling oil from windows to the Carlists, but it was a short battle (if it can even be called a battle) so there weren't any fighters who got famous for it.
Spanish Civil War: many involvements, including this famous photo and this famous speech
More generally, the milicianas, although they weren't particularly associated with in-city fighting and they were disbanded shortly because the left wing was rather sexist too. I suppose the siege of Madrid would have been closer to the topic. Mujeres Libres was an anarchist feminist organisation (keep in mind that here, "libertarian" means the anarcho-syndicalist variety, not the ultracapitalist). Amparo Poch, one of their founding members, was a medic during the war.
posted by sukeban at 12:43 PM on January 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
Later on, the 5th of March of 1838, the population rose against invading Carlist troops, expelling them from the city. As in the former sieges, the defenders included women, too, throwing heavy objects or boiling oil from windows to the Carlists, but it was a short battle (if it can even be called a battle) so there weren't any fighters who got famous for it.
Spanish Civil War: many involvements, including this famous photo and this famous speech
More generally, the milicianas, although they weren't particularly associated with in-city fighting and they were disbanded shortly because the left wing was rather sexist too. I suppose the siege of Madrid would have been closer to the topic. Mujeres Libres was an anarchist feminist organisation (keep in mind that here, "libertarian" means the anarcho-syndicalist variety, not the ultracapitalist). Amparo Poch, one of their founding members, was a medic during the war.
posted by sukeban at 12:43 PM on January 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Women were and have continued to be key leaders in the black lives matter movement, especially in Ferguson.
posted by limeonaire at 6:50 PM on January 23, 2016
posted by limeonaire at 6:50 PM on January 23, 2016
Best answer: Idle No More (more info) - Canada: An ongoing grassroots movement for indigenous sovereignty, indigenous rights and respect for the treaties, is founded/led by women.
Mi'kmaq Anti-Fracking Protest Brings Women to the Front Lines to Fight for Water
Similar to (KNAG) mentioned above there are Raging Grannies chapters across Canada and the US. There are numerous examples of participation in demonstrations and blockades at various sites typically involving resource extraction and environmental degradation.
New York shirtwaist strike of 1909
Female Consciousness and Collective Action: The Case of Barcelona 1910-1918
posted by abhardcastle at 9:45 PM on January 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
Mi'kmaq Anti-Fracking Protest Brings Women to the Front Lines to Fight for Water
Similar to (KNAG) mentioned above there are Raging Grannies chapters across Canada and the US. There are numerous examples of participation in demonstrations and blockades at various sites typically involving resource extraction and environmental degradation.
New York shirtwaist strike of 1909
Female Consciousness and Collective Action: The Case of Barcelona 1910-1918
posted by abhardcastle at 9:45 PM on January 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
Women Against Pit Closures, although I'm not sure how urban you'd call it.
posted by emilyw at 1:18 PM on January 24, 2016
posted by emilyw at 1:18 PM on January 24, 2016
Response by poster: Thanks all! I best-answered the ones that were most relevant to the urban context I was interested in, but these are all fascinating examples.
posted by a sourceless light at 7:36 AM on February 24, 2016
posted by a sourceless light at 7:36 AM on February 24, 2016
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posted by DarlingBri at 1:21 AM on January 23, 2016