EEUU/CHILE : arpilleras como forma de resistencia

Camila Leiva Anderson

Arpillera in honor of Daunte Wright. I grabbed my needle, fabrics, and thread to transform my grief and rage into something tactile. The arpillera art form is one done by working-class women in Chile with whatever scraps of fabric can be found, to denounce state violence and share stories of daily life. Groups of women secretly gathered during the Pinochet dictatorship to stitch arpilleras that told visual stories of militarized streets, police violence, and the murder and disappearance of loved ones. This past week (year) in Minneapolis felt like a parallel of my past as I watched armored vehicles stationed through the community and a militarized force repress protesters with all sorts of chemical weapons. In the struggle for justice in Chile we use the phrase “Ni olvido, ni perdón” (We won’t forget and we won’t forgive). In the fight against white supremacist state violence and impunity, we won’t forget and we won’t forgive until true justice is achieved, our society is deeply transformed and the police are abolished. Lighting candles, placing carnations, and holding Daunte Wright, George Floyd and Adam Toledo in my heart today, and always.

Arpillera en honor a Daunte Wright, joven negro de 20 años asesinando por la policía en Minnesota el 11 de abril.