VIDEO: Reclaim the Night student march against sexual violence
- Thousands take to street in rally against 'rape culture'
- March along Oxford Road included men, women and children
"Whose streets? Our streets!”
This was the rallying cry when more than 3,500 people crowded the streets of Manchester on Thursday night for the annual Reclaim the Night protest.
Families and children joined women and students in the march, which highlighted the issues of rape culture, street harassment, victim blaming and sexual violence.
Campaigners organised a neon parade from Owens Park in Fallowfield, along Wilmslow Road and Oxford Road to the University of Manchester Students’ Union, where there was entertainment and music from some of the finest female talent.
Protesters dressed in bright and colourful clothing and splashed glitter on their faces as shopkeepers and members of the general public stopped to watch the melodic chanting.
Lucy Grimes, 20, a student from the Manchester School of Art, said: “It’s brilliant, I came to support the cause of ending sexual violence against women and to stand in solidarity to reclaim the night. Women need more of a voice."