Women across Nottingham marched through the city centre to challenge gender-based violence on Saturday, October 19.
The Reclaim the Night march started at 6.45pm in Sneinton Market before finishing outside Nottingham Trent Students’ Union after travelling through the city centre.
The demonstration’s goal was to call attention to the ongoing threat against women’s safety, as figures show 71 per cent of women have experienced sexual harassment in a public place, and one in five women have experienced sexual violence.
River Tole, a 19-year-old barista from Clifton said: “This march means a lot, I heard about it a week ago from a friend who went last year, and I was like hell yeah, I’m going.
“I was honestly so glad everyone was so welcoming.
“Why the hell should we be afraid of walking at night? Avoiding dark allies and staying near main streets when men can walk everywhere.”
Reclaim the Night is a national event that originally began in Leeds in 1977, in response to the murders by Peter Sutcliffe.
Women rallied to demand the right to access all spaces without the fear of violence.
Olivia Pavier, 29, travelled from Carlton alone to take part in the march after seeing it promoted on Instagram.
She said: “I found the march incredible to be honest.
“I didn’t really know what to expect, I hadn’t been to one before, so it was so empowering, and seeing so people here was mind-blowing really
“It felt so safe, I was here on my and walked most of it by myself.”
The event sought to empower women and enforce a sense of solidarity through workshops hosted by local organisations such as Nottingham Central Library and Nottingham Contemporary.
After the march had concluded, attendees were able to socialise at the Nottingham’s women’s centre before attending a women-only disco ran by When Women Gather.
