Marches have never been easy. They challenge the status quo, power, and those in authority.
They also put up a mirror to systems that may be capitalistic, exploitative, sexist, manipulative, fascist or dictatorial — or even all of that — which is why the fact that Pakistan hosted three major ones shows that the youth is neither satisfied nor anywhere near to giving up.
The aim of the Aurat March 2019 was for Pakistanis to realise patriarchal oppression and "collectively raise voice against oppression and injustice". On March 8, 2019, women, trans, and non-binary folks, as well as their male allies, organised an event at Frere Hall and later took to the Abdullah Haroon Road to protest systematic misogyny.
The Aurat March 2019 was held in multiple cities, including Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Hyderabad, Peshawar, and Mardan. Prior to the main event, Twitter hashtag #WhyIMarch trended under which people posted their reasons for attending the march.
People marched “so our daughters don’t have to be silent”, “against harassment at the workplace”, the reclaiming of public spaces, and incidents such as the “three girls who were killed by jirga".
Also read: 'Raise our voices against oppression and injustice'
While the demands of the Aurat March 2019 included calls for labour laws, implementation of anti-harassment laws, equal pay for everyone, legislation against gender-based and sexual violence, equal social and political opportunities for women, trans, and non-binary folk, and safety of religious minorities, some posters drew the ire of the country’s conservative groups, with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly going as far as to pass a resolution against what they termed were "shameless and un-Islamic" slogans, placards, and demands at the march.
Read more: Posters at Aurat March 2019 were more 'woke' and creative
Far-right groups, including some major political parties, expressed their fear of "the hidden elements” and “conspiracies” that would “damage the family system and societal traditions” and were threatened by posters with captions such as ‘Heat up your own food’ and ‘My body, my choice", the latter of which simply means understanding and respecting consent and bodily autonomy.
Aurat March, in general, and especially ahead of its third iteration in 2020, has received a tonne of backlash, with threats of rape, death, and acid-throwing abound on social media. But as Geo News’ late-night talk show host, Shahzeb Khanzada, noted what many in the country don’t understand, the primary goal was as such: "The basic rights that men enjoy for themselves, they have to let women enjoy those too," he said.
More than 30 Pakistani cities hosted the Climate March, part of the worldwide protests to snatch global leaders’ attention towards the climate emergency. With slogans like, “The climate crisis won’t wait, so neither will we,” young people called on the government to join the global climate strikes, create policies for climate action, and deal with the devastating climate breakdown as the earth hurtles towards dangerous tipping points.
Did you know what Pakistan's climate march was about?
The result of a joint response from a coalition of individuals, groups, NGOs, and social movements across Pakistan, Climate Action Now’s demands included declaring a climate emergency, demanding climate justice through a global coalition, adopting a low-carbon economy, and ensuring grassroots-level climate adaptation efforts.
The urgency of the climate cause, in one instance, was highlighted by the fact that many children in Pakistan are not even aware of the problem. A young educator told Geo.tv that his teenage students asked as to why was climate change their concern and considered a cause not to be significant enough for a protest.
Related: Karachiites join worldwide climate strike
Considering that "all this is happening decades ahead of scientific projections”, climate activists stressed for timely action. Karachiites had gathered at the metropolis’ Frere Hall, chanting “we demand clean air,” as the city has fallen victim to global warming and climate change — evident from the rampant heatwaves and torrential rainstorms.
The Climate March was held ahead of ahead of the United Nation’s Sept 23 climate summit and protesters also staged a “die-in” — showing people lying dead on the road as a simulation of what the environmental emergency could potentially unleash on the world — as pedestrians, shopkeepers, and drivers looked on.
While discussions about the Students' Solidarity March were ongoing, a video of students’ mobilisation drive — posted more than 10 days ahead of the event — shot the students’ movement into limelight.
What, instead, became the focus was a young woman in a biker jacket—because what else do Pakistanis do except criticise women, their politics, and their attire?
Arooj Aurangzeb, in a way, turned into a flagbearer for the awakening of an entire generation of students in Pakistan.
Check out pictures and videos from the Students Solidarity March
The youth-led movement had specific demands; among them were resumption of union elections, reversal of fee hikes and HEC budget cuts, provision of free education, demilitarisation of campuses, letting students participate in political activities, establishment of sexual harassment investigation committees, and the declaration of April 13 as a national holiday to honour Mashal Khan.
Student unions had been banned 35 years ago, during the rule of military dictator General Zia-ul-Haq.
Also read: 'You do not speak for us, we speak for ourselves'
While the former ruler had barred students from assembling on university and college campuses more than three decades ago, a threatening environment still persisted, for Lahore police registered cases against over 300 students after they marched to demand their rights in multiple Pakistani cities.
Of the prominent politicians, only Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari spoke in support of the Students Solidarity March, commending the marchers’ "spirit of activism and yearning for peaceful democratic process".
