More than 2,000 women are expected to join this year's annual
Reclaim The Night march with the message NO to male violence and NO
to cuts to women's services, say organisers.
The march will take place in central London on the evening of
Saturday 26 November 2011, and sister marches are planned in
Newcastle (26 November), Bristol (18 November) and the Isle of
Wight (25 November).
According to figures at the event's website, 95% of
women do not feel safe on the streets at night. Although there are
an estimated 47,000 rapes every year (British Crime Survey, 2001),
the UK conviction rate is one of Europe's lowest at just 5.3%. RTN
organisers point out that this means that there are fewer
convictions for rape now than there were in the 1970s when women
first took to the streets to draw attention to the issue of male
violence and women's safety.
Today women still gather to take back the night and make their
voices heard together.
The women-only march will assemble at 6pm in Whitehall Place,
near Embankment, and proceed through central London to the Camden
Centre, opposite King's Cross station, for a mixed rally and party
with speakers, stalls, hot food, bars and DJs until late. All are
welcome at the rally, where a bucket collection on the door will
help fund the venue hire.
For more details and information about sister events, visit www.reclaimthenight.org.
Image credit: Charlotte (Reclaim The Night)
