Sheffield ‘Reclaim the Streets’ sculpture destroyed

A sculpture that was created by the Sheffield campaign group, Our Bodies Our Streets, has been burnt down by arsonists.

The sculpture had been erected by the campaign group in Ponderosa Park, Netherthorpe last month as part of a project to encourage conversation and community change regarding street harassment.

The wooden sculpture displayed poetry, alongside maps showing where street harassment had taken place in Sheffield.

Last week, the campaign organisers discovered the project ‘completely decimated’ by a fire which could have spread around the park.

The vandalism was discovered the morning after Our Bodies Our Streets had shared a guide on Instagram explaining what to do if your drink is spiked on a night out.

The guide was published on social media due to the rise in drink spiking cases in Sheffield over the last couple of months.

On Instagram, the campaign group wrote: “We are deeply disappointed, hurt and disturbed to find out our ‘Reclaim the Streets’ sculpture has been burnt down. The violent abuse of the sculpture, which was not at all invasive and purely existed, is reminiscent of our experiences of public sexual harassment.

We will use our anger as motivation to fight back with more conviction than ever before, and not be silenced in defiance of those who which to stop us.”

In place of the sculpture the campaign group have placed placards reading ‘This won’t stop us” next to a QR code which visitors can scan to share their thoughts on the sculpture and it’s destruction.

Through this, they aim to continue the project’s aim of encouraging conversation regarding female safety in Sheffield.

Thoughts on the event can also be shared by direct messaging Our Bodies Our Streets on Instagram.