FEMINISTS VERSUS MONUMENTS ? From Protests to Anti‐monuments in Mexico City

Source abstract

Abstract This article examines the role of heritage spaces and monuments in the Historic Centre of Mexico City during ongoing feminist mobilizations. Feminists have claimed that the Mexican government is more concerned about protecting monuments and urban heritage than acting to prevent gender‐based violence and femicide. While feminists have demanded actions and solutions from the authorities, some have also sought to distance themselves from the state, utilizing counter‐hegemonic tactics. The research shows how feminist activists have used cultural demonstrations and established alternative memorials to commemorate women who have suffered from violence and crime. These approaches differ from those of other social movements in Mexico. By occupying symbolic historic spaces and, in some cases, damaging monuments, feminists have also established what they call anti‐monumentas. Such tactics reflect how politics, memory and public space continuously intertwine during demonstrations.