Slutwalk organizer says message important, not the name

Women should wear what they want without fear of sexual assault, is what organizers want to say about the Slutwalk protest march Saturday in Minneapolis.

The demonstrations began in Toronto to protest a city police officer's statement that women should avoid dressing provocatively to prevent being sexual assaulted.

The name of the event is indeed provocative, agrees Kimberia Sherva, organizer of the Minneapolis march. She's heard complaints and criticism from locals about the event's name and purpose. But Sherva said those are the people she wants to engage.

"The name's tricky. The name's hard. And we've gotten some push back on that and criticism from people who say, 'Well, that's not appropriate' " Sherva said. "Yeah, we understand that, but that's part of the reason we're doing it.

The message is that rape or assault victims are sometimes unfairly blamed for their attack, Sherva said.

Slutwalk will begin at 2 p.m. at Hennepin Island Park, Minneapolis.