'Orange' race against domestic violence

Teachers, pupils and parents at Alfaz del Pi school are this week organising 'orange' races against domestic violence. Our photo shows the race held at the Veles e Vents school and joined by local council representatives yesterday in which 370 people took part. Many other towns have held anti-domestic violence events this week

JÁVEA joined the nationwide demonstrations for International Day Against Domestic Violence on Friday, setting up 47 crosses outside the town hall – one for each of the women who have been murdered by their current or former husbands or boyfriends so far this year.

Each bore the first name and initials of the surname of the victims, the latest being a 31year-old woman pregnant with her partner's baby, the father of whom committed suicide after killing her.

A manifesto was read out in homage to the 47 women and seven children and in condemnation of the brutal crimes.

Jávea council, addressing the public, revealed that nearly 60,000 calls were made in the first three months of 2017 to the domestic violence helpline, 016 – which is free of charge and does not show up on an itemised bill – plus almost 83,200 police reports filed, just short of 19,700 injunctions passed, and over 2,600 women given help to move to new homes in undisclosed areas for their safety.

The manifesto slammed the 'heteropatriarchy' which 'persists in society' worldwide, 'tolerating inequality' and 'giving little credibility to women's word and authority'.

Jávea was one of numerous towns and cities which staged anti-violence protests over the weekend, the largest being in Madrid on Saturday. Marina Baixa march Marina Baixa towns stood united in Benidorm on Saturday in the fight against do- mestic violence.

Local mayors attending included Toni Perez (Benidorm), Bernabé Cano (La Nucía), Vicente Arques (Alfaz del Pi), Gabriel Fernández (Polop), Josep Saval (Callosa d’En Sarrià) and Juan Fransisco Pérez (Finestrat). There were also representatives of several women’s groups and associations.

A minute’s silence was observed for the victims in the town hall square after which a manifesto was read by various councillors.

A march then took place with representatives from the various parties from the town hall to the Statue of Peace on the crossroads of Avenida Europa and Avenida Mediterráneo, where a symbolic wreath was placed with the names of all the women who have been killed.