The safety initiative Ask for Angela (Luxembourg) Asbl has announced that it will organise a peaceful march through Luxembourg City calling for greater prevention of violence against women, set to take place on Friday 2 October 2026.
Entitled “Women should be able to walk without fear”, the march forms part of the organisation's Underreacting campaign and follows recent cases in which women and girls were violently and sexually attacked by men they did not know.
According to Ask for Angela, the initiative aims to shift the focus from advice telling women how to protect themselves towards measures aimed at preventing attacks. During the march, the organisation will provide exaggerated versions of items women are commonly advised to carry for protection, seeking to highlight what it described as the absurdity of placing responsibility for preventing attacks on women themselves.
The organisation noted that it had not identified any programme in Luxembourg specifically aimed at preventing sexual violence outside domestic settings. It also referred to previous criticism from GREVIO, the Council of Europe's expert body on violence against women and domestic violence, concerning Luxembourg's focus on domestic violence and the lack of a long-term strategy addressing other forms of violence against women.
According to figures cited by Ask for Angela, police recorded 138 rapes in Luxembourg in 2024 and 128 in 2025. The organisation said it had found no evidence that authorities proactively announced any of these 266 cases at the time, adding that such cases generally became public following questions from journalists.
Ask for Angela also highlighted the experience of Kelsey Hopper, who reported that a man punched her and chased her with his trousers open in Hamilius at around 11:00 on Sunday 30 August 2026. According to the organisation, police took the action available to them but ultimately advised her to avoid the city centre.
Terri Allington, President of Ask for Angela (Luxembourg) AsblL, said: “It isn't a woman's responsibility not to get attacked. Responsibility lies solely with the predator. Women are constantly told what they should carry, where they should walk and what they should do when they're attacked. Where is the urgency to stop men from attacking in the first place? By the time I'm digging through my handbag looking for my magic whistle, it's too late.”
She continued: “When the police do what they can within the powers available to them but the outcome is that a woman is told to avoid the city centre, something is wrong with the system. We need as many people as possible to give us an hour and show their support. We're not overreacting. Everyone else is underreacting.”
Although the march focuses on women's safety, the organisers have encouraged people of all genders and identities to participate.
The march will take place on Friday evening, coinciding with the International Day of Non-Violence. Participants are invited to gather outside the Hôtel des Postes at Hamilius from 18:15, with no prior registration required.
The route will follow Rue Philippe II, Grand Rue and Rue de la Fosse before reaching Place Guillaume II (Knuedler). The march is expected to finish before 19:30, with no rally or gathering planned afterwards.
Ask for Angela will provide placards, flags and ribbons for participants. The organisation noted that it has never received government funding and relies entirely on donations and membership fees.
