Women in Black – An International Network with a Danish Section

Women in Black was founded in Israel in January 1988 when women for the first time demonstrated in silence dressed in black against the occupation of the Palestinian territories.

The idea spread to other countries – to Italy, where women demonstrated against the first Gulf War in the beginning of 1991, and to Serbia where women in October 1991 began demonstrating every week in the centre of Belgrade against the Milosevic’s regime of war and militarism. Today there are Women in Black groups in many countries.

In Denmark the first demonstration took place in September 1998 on the initiative of the Danish section of Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom to mark the annual peace day. The vigil was a protest against NATO’s threat of bombing Yugoslavia, which materialized in March 1999.

Since then we have continued our demonstrations and at special occasions as part of common worldwide organized demonstrations. For instance at the 8th of June in 2001 when Women in Black had demonstrations in 141 cities, in around 25 countries.

After the attack on the twin towers of World Trade Centre and Pentagon 11.09.2001 Women in Black in Denmark urged the US not to revenge the killings of civilians in the US by starting a war in Afghanistan – with the inevitable killings of Afghan civilians. Since then we have protested against the war in Afghanistan, against the war in Iraq and again and again against Israel’s continued killings of civilians and acts of destruction in the Palestinian territories. As well as we have condemned the killings of civilians by suicide bombs in Israel.

Women in Black in Denmark demonstrate every second Friday in even weeks from 16.30 to 17.00
at different places in Copenhagen.

For further information about the Danish and the international network:
Kvinder i Sort, Denmark
Women in Black