‘Boys will be held accountable’: UoB students on taking part in Reclaim the Night march

On Monday, 25th November, the University of Birmingham held its annual Reclaim the Night march. This event takes place across the country, protesting against sexual violence towards women.

Reclaim the Night is a movement dating back to the 70s and came about as a response to the “Yorkshire Ripper” murders in Leeds. Women started protesting in cities across the UK, and the march has become a yearly event ever since. The University of Birmingham held its first Reclaim the Night march in 2018, although they have been held in the city centre annually since 2009.

The protest began at the Faraday Statue, before marching through campus and ending at the Guild of Students. We then heard from a variety of speakers, who bravely shared their experiences of gender-based violence as well as advice on how to stay safe and access help if needed.

The march took place during the UN’s campaign “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence,” which calls for action from world leaders towards an epidemic of violence towards women and girls.

The Birmingham Tab talked to Lucy Newman and Esme Thomas at the march, two UoB students who spoke at the event and are restarting Feminist Society for Birmingham students.

Lucy said she is hoping to “create a safe space for anyone to talk about issues, learn, and create a community” through the new society, as there is currently “not a space now to do this” at UoB. She hopes the society will be a place for students to “come together, share knowledge” and “argue sometimes,” while also encouraging discussion of feminist theory.

They invite anyone interested or with any questions to contact them on their emails: [email protected] and [email protected].