Marchers step up to Reclaim the Night

THE Coffs Harbour “Reclaim the Night” march was well supported on Friday, 21 November, with more than 50 locals taking to the streets to demand an end to all forms of violence against women and children.

The march was organised by Coffs Coast domestic family violence action group GRACE (Growing Respect, Awareness and Community Empowerment).

Held annually across the globe, Reclaim the Night marches aim to create a space where women and the wider community can feel free to celebrate women’s right to safety.

“There was a fabulous turnout from the Coffs Harbour community,” said Cassie Valentino, a Domestic Violence Caseworker at Warrina Women’s and Children’s Refuge.

Community members of all ages came together in solidarity to march from the Coffs Harbour CBD through to the Park Beach Twilight Market, chanting “Safety should be a right, day or night.”

At the conclusion of the march, which had been postponed a week due to weather, the group was joined by guest speakers who highlighted the ongoing importance of women’s safety and the need for collective action.

“A particularly powerful moment came from a lady speaker with lived experience who shared her personal story of surviving domestic violence and the strength and hope she has found on the other side.”

Ms Valentino said the march was a momentous and uplifting event that showcased the unity, courage, and determination within our community to stand against gender-based violence and advocate for safety for all women.

The first Reclaim the Night marches in the UK were held in Leeds on November 12, 1977, in response to police advice for women to stay indoors due to the Yorkshire Ripper murders.

The event quickly became a global movement, with the first marches in Australia occurring in Sydney and Perth in 1978, and “Take Back the Night” marches taking place across the US around the same time.

By Andrea FERRARI