Tell us a little bit about yourself. I'm Filippo, I'm 17 years old, and I come from Prato, Italy. I'm currently a student, and I'll be one for a pretty long time since I'd like to study medicine at university. I do judo and in my little free time I like to watch TV series, paint, read, and sometimes write something of my own.
When did you start your account? I created my account the 15th of march, 2019.
Why were you inspired to start an account? I saw what catcallsofnyc was already doing and I really felt that Prato, my city, needed something where people could tell their stories so that they would never happen again to anybody else.
Why do you think “chalking back” is a good method to raise awareness? I think that with the chalks we do we force people to see (and read) what gets unnoticed or, more often, ignored. We place it where it happened and where it could happen again.
Why do you think ending street harassment is important? Street harassment causes people to give up on something important for them (e.g. clothes, routines, the person itself) because some rude and ignorant person thinks they can judge whatever comes before their eyes, and this must stop.
what’s your favorite thing about your city? My city is a really mixed one: you can find any ethnicity even if it's not a big city. There are some inevitable problems because of this mixture, but the people that work hard to make everybody feel at home is what makes Prato beautiful.
How can your city better address street harassment? Institutions like the municipality could let our movement be known, propose some activities, events and projects in order to fight back street harassment.
What do you hope is the outcome of your account? I hope that with my work more and more people will denounce their experiences. I hope that there won't be anyone catcalling because they have learned not to.
What’s the most difficult street harassment situation you’ve experienced? Luckily, I haven't been street harassed.
What does being a part of this campaign mean to you? Being part of this campaign makes me feel part of something bigger, something that could really change the world and make it a better place for everyone.