“You can stab a tit but you can’t show someone kissing one”

As far as old truisms go, it's certainly a strange one but think about it for a second. Let it sink in. Remind yourself of the double standards society imposes on women’s breasts every day. While your mulling that over, have a read of Carina Fitzpatrick's experience of going topless for #freethenipple at Knockanstockan Festival last weekend. Carina was apprehended by six Gardai last Saturday in a field overlooking lake Blessington in Co.Wicklow, for doing what the majority of men surrounding her were doing. Standing around topless. Initially, Carina took her top off when a man at the festival audibly mocked her friends who were dancing and 'shaking their bits in the sunshine'. She opened up about her story in a Facebook post...

“Oh yeah, “free the nipple” he taunted, “go on then get your tits out." I was furious. I said, “You don’t have the right to dictate when my breasts are and are not acceptable, you don’t get to sexualise and fetishise my body and then jeer me when I defend my right to be seen as a person instead of a sum of body parts”

With that Carina bared her breasts and began a small and noble protest.

"And I stood there and had a normal enjoyment of my surroundings, dressed to the same degree as many of the men surrounding me. That was my peaceful, simple protest."

It wasn't before long until Garda approached Carina and told her to cover herself up. Carina willingly obliged, at first.

"Soon I was apprehended by a Garda, and a passionate group of half naked men came to my defense. I yielded to the Garda’s request to dress myself and he went on his way. Next thing the attention started. People began clamouring to tell me their thoughts. Passions were high. One girl simply slurred “you’ve great tits anyway love” another said, “I’d have mine out too if only they were good enough”. Another parroted that sentiment, telling me that she had body confidence issues and would be too afraid. This is when my pulse started to race. The shame that women feel when they don’t have the body they think they should have. The fear they have being put down. The bullshit idea that my breasts were validated somehow because of the fact that someone else thinks they’re sexy. We are just people, and we have the right to stand in a space and not be sexualised”

Blood racing, Carina decided to disobey the previous Garda request and disrobed once again.

"So, with that, I had to take my top off again. I could not stand there and stomach the hypocrisy and the irrationality. I could not look at myself in the mirror and know that I allowed other people to tell me that I am afforded less rights than a man because of a massive historical legacy of objectification and dominance. I had to tell those women, that this is about throwing those ideas away, freeing themselves of the burden of fitting into an aesthetic and a role that has been outmoded"

When six Garda approached Carina again she was told to cover her bare breasts. She was told that if she did not she would be arrested. She was escorted off the property and her festival wristband was cut off. (images courtesy of Carina Fitzpatrick's Facebook) She was told by Garda to 'think of the children'. Which is highly ironic considering the sole purpose of our breasts is to produce milk for the young and besides, children don't sexualise women's breasts, men do. In the end, Carina regained access to Knockanstockan, to find that she had set a little flame in women's bellies. Two other women were arrested and taken away from the festival in handcuffs.

"Two more women were charged with failure to comply with orders, and taken away in handcuffs to a riotous crowd of men demonstrating their bare chests and women calling out the double standard. After being released from the station the girls returned to the site of the festival. One of them proceeded to do a knock out aerial performance to a standing ovation, with the words “Equal” written across her bare chest. On meeting the other rebel in the Faerie Field, she and I danced the night away, as if every song lyric was made for us. I'm so proud of them and so grateful for their bravery. They have to face the courts"

This act of defiance from Carina has since gathered a following. Momentum has been building since last Saturday and #freecarina is now being used on Twitter. https://twitter.com/evadiminutive/status/758282965692649472 https://twitter.com/ChrisMacCormack/status/758289750658846720 https://twitter.com/ElysianCircus/status/758293190017486852 We salute you, Carina! For having the courage to stand up against the blatant sexualisation of womens and girls breasts. Women are not objects, we are people, who deserve the same rights as anyone else.