Estepona comes together for equality and peace at 8M march

Dozens join the first demonstration organised by the 8M Coordinating Committee of Estepona

The recently created 8M Coordinating Committee of Estepona brought together several dozen residents and local groups on Sunday 8 March for a march in support of equality and peace. The march, which set off at midday from Plaza Antonia Guerrero and ended at the Orchid Park, symbolised the unity of local civil society in a day marked by feminist commitment and a clear rejection of war.

The 8M march in Estepona became the first major public event promoted by the 8M Coordinating Committee, which was making its debut as an organising body. The call managed to bring together different political, social and cultural sectors around a common goal: to defend women’s rights and opportunities and to give greater visibility to the local feminist movement.

From the very start, a purple tide moved through the centre of Estepona to the sound of applause and banners. Under slogans such as “Real equality”, “Friends, we feminists will stop fascism” and “No to war”, participants called for real progress on equality and for public policies that protect women’s rights in the town.

An 8M for equality and against war

This year, the rally’s traditional demands were accompanied by a strong pacifist message that could be heard in the chants and seen on the placards. In an international context marked by armed conflicts, participants stressed that feminism and the defence of peace are part of the same struggle for dignity and human rights.

The demonstration had the active backing of the Podemos Estepona local circle, whose members, activists and supporters joined the march as a bloc. The party underlined “the importance of strengthening collective spaces such as the 8M Coordinating Committee, which reflects the organised voice of women in the municipality”.

“It is a source of pride to see the 8M Coordinating Committee of Estepona being born and taking its first steps. Today we are not only marching for our rights, but also raising our voices against the barbarity of war,” representatives of the local Podemos circle said during the event.

Route and turnout

The march left Plaza Antonia Guerrero at 12:00 noon and finished at around 14:00 in the Orchid Park, where the manifesto was read out. Along the route, families, young people, representatives of social and neighbourhood groups and individual residents joined in to show their support for the 8M demands.

The 8M Coordinating Committee of Estepona gave a “very positive” assessment of this first call, highlighting the atmosphere of unity and respect that prevailed throughout the day. According to the organisers, the aim now is to continue this work and to consolidate a stable feminist coordination space in the town.

Sunday 8 March in Estepona left a clear image: the defence of equality and peace continues to mobilise local people, who once again take to the streets to demand more rights and less violence.