Hundreds of protesters will march through Leeds city centre calling for safer streets and an end to violence against women.
The 44th annual Reclaim the Night march on the 27th of November sets off from Woodhouse Moor at 9pm, protesting through the city center to finish around 11:00pm at the Town Hall.
Building on the Women’s Liberation Movement of the late 60s, the Reclaim the Night marches started in Leeds on November 12th 1977, at the height of the fear of the Yorkshire ripper, and spread to cities across England such as London, Bristol, York and Newcastle.
Al Garthwaite, co-founder of Reclaim the Night and now Leeds City Councilor stated, “I am sad and I am angry that this is still necessary and that there is still so much sexual violence going on after all these years,” in response to the vigil for Sarah Everard, organised by The Reclaim the Night group earlier this year.
The rise in drink spiking, and recent murders of Sarah Everard, Sabrina Nessa and Bobbi-Anne McLeod prove that there is still a long way to come to end violence against women.
Reclaim the Night marches invite women of all ages, races and backgrounds to protest against violence and fight for safer streets at night.
Image: 1977 Leeds Reclaim the Night