In the aftermath of the earthquakes that struck Mexico on September 8 and September 19, citizens led rescue efforts. And as stories of these heroic acts filled news feeds, you may not have heard about the all-female brigade who sprung into action, helping people in some of the hardest-hit and forgotten areas. One of La Brigada Feminista’s biggest contributions is refusing to stand down when the government attempted two days after the earthquake to bring in heavy machinery where a textile factory, which employed undocumented workers, fell. In a Full Frontal with Samantha Bee clip, host Samantha Bee explained that the government rushed so it could cover its own complicity (a building that wasn’t up to code). The women put their bodies in front of police and succeeded in stopping heavy machinery for one more day.
Their story didn’t get a lot of press coverage and social media users weren’t much kinder, using homophobic slurs and death threats to attack the women. The women who sat down to speak with Bee believe it’s because of the brigade’s use of the word feminist.
Check out the clip below: