A video that shows a woman being pestered by men on the streets of New York has gone viral, sparking renewed debate about harassment endured by women and minority groups.
The two-minute video shows actress Shoshana B. Roberts walking silently in jeans and a T-shirt through Manhattan as man after man greets her with remarks such as “hey, baby” or “hey, beautiful.”
When she does not respond, she is admonished for being rude with comments such as “smile” or “somebody´s acknowledging you for being beautiful. You should say thank you more.”
Called “10 Hours of Walking in NYC as a Woman,” the video has been viewed 9.8 million times since being uploaded to YouTube on Tuesday. It was produced for charity Hollaback! which works to end street harassment endured by women and minority groups.
At one point the video shows a man who walked alongside Roberts for five minutes without saying a word, causing her clear alarm.
The organizers said she encountered more than 100 instances of verbal street harassment within 10 hours and endured countless other winks and whistles.
“I´m harassed when I smile, and I´m harassed when I don´t. I´m harassed by white men, black men, Latino men,” she said.
“Not a day goes by when I don´t experience this.” She remarked in clear reference to women everywhere.
