Anguish and anger greet Jian Ghomeshi acquittal
A judge’s decision to acquit Jian Ghomeshi on sex assault charges immediately sparked a larger discussion on social media about the rights of sex assault victims and societal double standards.
Rage and grief turned into chants of chants of “We believe survivors” at Old City Hall Thursday evening.
The crowd for the planned rally — mostly composed of young women — shouted louder than sirens and streetcars and traffic to vent their frustration and anger.
“Claim our bodies, claim our rights, take a stand, this is our fight,” yelled the group, which numbered in the hundreds. “The system isn't broken, it was built this way.”
Marching down Bay St., Rachel Ramkaran waved a homemade sign in the rain with her friend, suggested the tensions behind the rally’s cries were flared for a reason.
“It beats being silent about these things,” she said. “Silence means it doesn't matter but all these people here show there is a serious problem that needs to be addressed.”
Among the scheduled speakers were advocates such as Glen Canning, father of Rehtaeh Parsons, the Nova Scotian teenager who died after attempting suicide following a sexual assault. Two complainants in the Ghomeshi case were also there, including Lucy DeCoutere, who said the verdict was just “phase one” of the conversation.
The overwhelming number of people who went online to comment on the decision voiced their support for Ghomeshi’s accusers, as well as to share their own stories and demand justice.
Many of them expressed disappointment – not only that Ghomeshi was not convicted, but also that the complainants’ credibility was attacked by the defence and the judge.
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