A flashmob event to protest violence against women took place at Fresno City College on Feb. 14.
A group of dancers met near the FCC fountain to participate in a worldwide dance movement for an event titled One Billion Rising. The event was created by the women’s rights organization V-Day. Other flashmobs for the cause have taken place at Fresno State and the Fulton mall.
One Billion Rising is a symbolic event held to shed light on the fact that one billion women all over the world will be affected by violence. A United Nations survey titled “Not A Minute More” shows that 1 in 3 women will be raped, assaulted or beaten in her lifetime.
V-Day is a non-profit activist movement with global connections. It has sponsored events such as the play “The Vagina Monologues,” as well as workshops for anti-violence community groups. For its 15th anniversary, V-Day organized One Billion Rising to globally unite individuals in protest of violence against women.
The flashmob at FCC was organized by student Amber Olmo after learning of the popular event.
“I’m a feminist you know, and it’s kind of my job to get involved,” she said.
The flashmob gained a large audience, who cheered and clapped for the dancers as they performed a synchronized dance with music.
Olmo’s goal in creating the local event is to see issues involving women communicated more in an effort to stop violent crime.
“I just want to see more men step up to the plate, more women to stand up and just say ‘no’ out loud … so everybody knows that it is unacceptable to hurt each other,” she said.
For more information on V-Day events and issues affecting women, visit their website at vday.org.
