Women planning glitter boobs march threatened by Internet trolls
Madeline Anello-Kitzmiller, 20, and friend Jolene Guillum-Scott, 22, recently launched ‘A Glittery March For Consent‘ after Anello-Kitzmiller was groped while donning breast glitter at a festival in New Zealand.
And after learning news of the upcoming protest, social media trolls threatened to kill attendees in a barrage of vile messages.
Back in December, Anello-Kitzmiller was groped while donning glitter on her breasts at the Rhythm and Vines festival in New Zealand and in retaliation, the 20-year-old and her friend threw a drink in the attacker’s face and threw four punches.
Yet despite simply defending herself from the unprovoked attack, Anello-Kitzmiller faced online backlash for her actions.
But the 20-year-old doesn’t regret her decision, as she told Daily Mail Australia: “I stand by my actions and hope that I’ve inspired women to feel comfortable in their bodies, no matter how they look.”
She continued: “A human’s body is their own, and nobody has a right to touch you without your consent, regardless of what they’re wearing.”
In response to the attack, the friends organised the empowering ‘Glittery March for Consent’ through Auckland designed to stand in solidarity with victims of sexual assault.
But within 24 hours of promoting the protest (set to take place on January 28th), the women faced a barrage of abusive messages.
In a video posted on social media, Anello-Kitzmiller admitted: “The amount of negativity sent to both Jolene and I is horrendous. Someone said they were going to be there in their car, implying they would run people over which has happened elsewhere in the world, and called me a ‘f-ing slut’ and told me to ‘go back to my own f-ing country.'”
While Guillum-Scott admitted to breaking down as a result of the trolling.
“I was really excited to talk about something which means so much to me but I actually couldn’t believe the comments I was getting,” she revealed in the clip. “They actually made me cry a couple of times. I was honestly shocked. I couldn’t even get a word out because I was just so overwhelmed. Trolls do not even believe you are human – they just do not give a s-t.”
Regardless of the negative backlash, the women have vowed to go through with the protest in the hope of raising awareness around the issues of victim blaming and sexual harassment.
Money raised at the protest will also be donated to a local charity which helps victims of sexual abuse and harassment.
In a joint statement, Anello-Kitzmiller and Guillum-Scott said: “No one has the right to touch you without your consent – it doesn’t matter what the circumstance may be, your body is yours and nobody has the right to take that away from you.”
“If you have ever been shamed for your attire, harassed or had what you’re wearing taken as an invitation, then we are marching for you and we want you to march with us.”
“There is no dress code. Our freedom to express ourselves however we choose, modestly or not, does not equate an invitation to touch our bodies.”
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Read more from Yahoo Style UK:
Female-only train carriages: A way to protect women or a way to excuse violence?
A woman-only music festival is happening: Is keeping genders separate really a step forward?
Woman who attacked a man who groped her at a music festival speaks out
