Woman strips in order to silence harassers

[eumelia]

What an interesting story.

On the gut level I thought; fuck that's a brave thing to do.
On the more cognitive level I thought; damn that's clever.
On the student-who-analyzes-everything-she-reads level I thought; well, that's one of the most rebellious, subjective things she could do in that situation.
On the absurd/political level I thought; those men harass her to the extent to which she must bare all, literally and she's reprimanded!?

Just goes to show that sexual harassment is the most normalized crime, there really is nothing wrong with wolf-whistling to a total stranger in the street.
She retaliates to a perceived threat and gets the punishment.

A few prize quotes from the article, just to show a little bit more of the absurd/political side of this:

"She gave the explanation that she had been ... pestered by New Zealand men. She's not an unattractive-looking lady," [Sgt. Peter Masters] said."

Police treated the incident as a one-off.

"She was taken back to the police station and spoken to and told that was
inappropriate (behavior) in New Zealand," [Sgt. Peter Masters] added."

And since this is Ha'aretz, the woman in question is an Israeli tourist.
Take from that what you will.

Israeli tourist strips in anger at New Zealand men's whistles
By The Associated Press

An Israeli tourist who felt harassed when New Zealand road workers whistled at her Thursday stripped naked in response, police said.

Workmen in the small northern farming town of Kerikeri were repairing the main street when the young woman took offense at their attention.

On a balmy late-autumn day, she calmly stripped bare to use an ATM - bringing an abrupt halt to both the whistles and the road work - then put her clothes back on and walked away. Sgt. Peter Masters said the woman told police she didn't take kindly to the men's wolf-whistles.

"She said she had thought '... I'll show them what I've got,' as the men
whistled at her," he said.

"She gave the explanation that she had been ... pestered by New Zealand men. She's not an unattractive-looking lady," he said.

Police treated the incident as a one-off.

"She was taken back to the police station and spoken to and told that was
inappropriate (behavior) in New Zealand," he added.

The woman was due to leave New Zealand later Thursday

Comments

[gonzo21.livejournal.com]

Reminds me of a scene in Gray's Anatomy where the Katherine Heigl character does something very similiar.

Horrified that the police cautioned her though. Completely assbackwards t hat.

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

I know! She's the bloody victim here!

[gonzo21.livejournal.com]

Can't help but worry that by stripping though, she might have put it in the workmens heads that they were right all along, and all women really do want to whistled at, because that one time that girl really did strip for them...

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

No, men who whistle or cat call are surprised to get any kind reaction that doesn't include looking either embarrassed or pleased.

I was whistled at once, flicked the guy the bird and he just laughed... maybe I should have flashed him.

[gonzo21.livejournal.com]

There's not many things that make me feel impelled towards violence, b ut those guys who wolf-whistle really do make me want to pound them.

[seilduksgata.livejournal.com]

Go random Israeli tourist!! Yeah that is brave....

Reminded me a bit of this:

http://www.loolwa.com/consequence.html#excerpt

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

Coo!

[cue-revolution.livejournal.com]

it's insane how women get criminalized for fighting back sexual harrassment or violence.

in toronto, recently, there was a pregnant teen who was IMPRISONED by the police because they feared she would recant on her charges of abuse against her (ex)boyfriend. SHE was put in jail. wtf.

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

My reaction is o_O followed by *smash*

Fuck, that's crazy! Yes, for her protection there must be restrictions upon her body.