We asked students what Reclaim the Night meant to them

Hundreds joined the march to Reclaim the Night on Thursday, a campaign that started in 1977 in Leeds aimed at improving women’s safety on the streets at night.

It’s unsurprising that so many people participated in the march and then the rally at The University of Manchester Students' Union, as many female students fear for their safety at night.

Since 2016, reported cases of sexual harassment have risen by 64 per cent while stalking and harassment reports have risen by 75 per cent.

During the rally, demands were presented to the local authorities, one of which was a call to improve street lighting. The fact that so many people were out in protest makes it clear that the council need to do much more to improve safety on the streets at night.

If all the posters, facts and figures aren’t enough to convince you why the campaign is so important, perhaps some more personal accounts will do the job. We took some photos of people who attended the march and asked why the campaign was important to them. Here are some accounts from those who were there.

Sara Heddi, Women's Officer at The University of Manchester Students' Union

Sara Heddi, Women’s officer at Manchester SU, gave a passionate speech at the rally insisting that any actions taken must be long-term and the goals of the campaign should not be forgotten.

She highlighted the fact that "Reclaim the Night has always been important not only for women but for everyone", a statement which is backed up by the 1200+ people who have signed the petition demanding that the council makes changes to safety.

Courtney Keene, Rachel Sklair and Jess Bostock, MisogynyISHate

Three members of the campaign group ‘Misogyny is Hate’, Courtney Keene, Rachel Sklair and Jess Bostock, claimed that students, women and other people don’t feel safe at night in greater Manchester, and that the turnout for the event emphasises the scale of the problem at hand.

"We’re here today to show the council that Manchester isn’t safe and the problem needs to be tackled. We are calling on Ian Hopkins, the Greater Manchester police and the Law Commission to get misogyny recognised as a hate crime, we think that’s a massive part of the problem."

Emily Hoang, second year student

Second year student, Emily Hoang, stated that Reclaim the Night is important because women fear walking home alone at night and may end up having to pay for public transport.

She said: "The whole point of this event is to reclaim the night for all the victims and vulnerable people".

Check out The Manchester Tab's Instagram for a highlight of our full story coverage on Reclaim the Night 2019.