US stars sign petition against LasTesis criminal case in Chile

Los Angeles, US, Jul 22 (efe-epa).- Dozens of well-known Americans, including Hollywood actresses Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore and Eva Longoria and singers such as Cat Power and Ani Difranco, have signed a petition in support of the feminist art collective LasTesis, creators of the anti-sexual violence anthem “A Rapist In Your Path.”

“In 2019, LasTesis shook the world by performing Un Violador En Tu Camino (A Rapist In Your Path), a powerful performance art piece which decries violence against womxn and the oppressive systems that perpetuate police brutality, rape culture and femicide,” the petition says.

However, it says that last month the collective found out through the media that a criminal investigation was opened against them by the Chilean National Police, and adds that the group is “wrongfully accused of inciting violence and threats against the police” for performing the art piece that took off around the globe.

Signatories include Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, Amy Poehler, Amy Schumer, Olivia Wilde, Michelle Williams, Marisa Tomei, Zoe Saldana, Cat Power and Ashley Judd, among others.

In addition to representatives of the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, such as Gabrielle Union and Alyssa Milano, there were also Latino names including Eva Longoria, America Ferrera, Rosie Perez and Leonor Varela.

The text considers the lawsuit against LasTesis to be “fraudulent” and related to the collective’s ability to “inspire millions of womxn in Chile and around the world to demand a systemic end to the sexual violence womxn are forced to live with every day.”

“It is undeniable that the Chilean government, the National Police force and any other institution that is complicit in allowing these fraudulent charges to move forward are afraid of the cultural and political power LasTesis’ artwork holds,” claims the petition to the administration of Sebastián Piñera, demanding the charges be dropped.

“Millions around the world have performed LasTesis knowing that our liberation is bound in each other. Now more than ever, the whole world is watching,” the petition ends.

Previously, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACourtHR) expressed concern over the investigation, since this criminal process could lead to the criminalization of artistic expression and protests protected by the right to freedom of expression. EFE-EPA

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