Sex workers in Europe have a long history of organising collectively against police violence and abuse. One of the most significant moments in this struggle occurred in June 1975, when around 100 sex workers occupied the Church of Saint-Nizier in Lyon, France, for over a week. They were protesting against police harassment and repression, and demanding social justice and protection. Fifty years on, sex workers in Europe still face a high level of violence at the hands of the police and law enforcement. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the occupation of St Nizier Church, the European Sex Workers' Rights Alliance (ESWA) is launching a policy brief which draws on a larger research project developed in cooperation with 13 national partner organisations 'Exposed from all sides'. The Role of Policing in Sex Workers’ Access to Justice. The policy brief builds on this project and on the Feminist Participatory Action Research (FPAR) framework, which fosters structural change and engages affected communities at all stages of the research process.
Read and download the Policy Brief on Police Violence in ENG, French, Armenian, German, Spanish, and Ukrainian
