'The rapist is you': The chilling feminist battle cry echoing around the world

Thousands of women across the world have joined forces to shout a new feminist anthem. 

The rallying cry of "the oppressive state is a rapist" originated from a Chilean feminist group LaTesis, translated as The Thesis.

The performance was debuted in November on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. 

Dozens of women gathered outside the Supreme Court in Santiago, Chile and with blindfolds over their eyes, shouted the lyrics as one.

"The patriarchy is a judge who tries us for being born and our punishment is the violence you see now.

It's femicide, impunity for my murderer, it's disappearance, it's rape.

And it wasn't my fault, not where I was, nor how I was dressed.

You are the rapist, you are the rapist.

It's the police, the judges, the state, the president. The oppressive state is a macho rapist."

In Chile, only eight percent of rapes end in a conviction, reports business news site Quartz. The chant deliberately addresses the failure of the justice system to protect women by including lyrics from a Chilean police anthem.

"Sleep calmly innocent girl, without worrying about the bandit, for over your smiling, sweet dreams, watches your loving cop."

But it's not just Chile where women have congregated to call out their governments. Since the original flash mob, the cry has echoed across the world. 

Flash mobs have been held in Australia, Madrid, Mexico, London and Paris.

 

The Independent reports that in Mexico, more than 2000 women stood outside the home of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and pointed as they chanted together.