Women took to the streets for Newcastle's first Reclaim the Night march since COVID-19 which started at Gregson Park at Hamilton on Friday evening. Pictures all by Jonathan Carroll.A woman holds a sign that reads 'women's rights are human rights'.The Reclaim the Night march aims to stop sexual violence on Newcastle's streets.
Women took to the streets for Newcastle's Reclaim the Night march. Picture by Jonathan Carroll.Women took to the streets for Newcastle's Reclaim the Night march. Picture by Jonathan Carroll.Women took to the streets for Newcastle's Reclaim the Night march. Picture by Jonathan Carroll.Women took to the streets for Newcastle's Reclaim the Night march. Picture by Jonathan Carroll.Women took to the streets for Newcastle's Reclaim the Night march. Picture by Jonathan Carroll.Women took to the streets for Newcastle's Reclaim the Night march. Picture by Jonathan Carroll.Women took to the streets for Newcastle's Reclaim the Night march. Picture by Jonathan Carroll.Women took to the streets for Newcastle's Reclaim the Night march. Picture by Jonathan Carroll.Women took to the streets for Newcastle's Reclaim the Night march. Picture by Jonathan Carroll.Women took to the streets for Newcastle's Reclaim the Night march. Picture by Jonathan Carroll.Women took to the streets for Newcastle's Reclaim the Night march. Picture by Jonathan Carroll.Women took to the streets for Newcastle's Reclaim the Night march. Picture by Jonathan Carroll.Women took to the streets for Newcastle's Reclaim the Night march. Picture by Jonathan Carroll.Women took to the streets for Newcastle's Reclaim the Night march. Picture by Jonathan Carroll.Women took to the streets for Newcastle's Reclaim the Night march. Picture by Jonathan Carroll.Women took to the streets for Newcastle's Reclaim the Night march. Picture by Jonathan Carroll.Women took to the streets for Newcastle's Reclaim the Night march. Picture by Jonathan Carroll.Women took to the streets for Newcastle's Reclaim the Night march. Picture by Jonathan Carroll.Women took to the streets for Newcastle's Reclaim the Night march. Picture by Jonathan Carroll.Women took to the streets for Newcastle's Reclaim the Night march. Picture by Jonathan Carroll.Women took to the streets for Newcastle's Reclaim the Night march. Picture by Jonathan Carroll.Women took to the streets for Newcastle's Reclaim the Night march. Picture by Jonathan Carroll.Women took to the streets for Newcastle's Reclaim the Night march. Picture by Jonathan Carroll.Women took to the streets for Newcastle's Reclaim the Night march. Picture by Jonathan Carroll.Women took to the streets for Newcastle's Reclaim the Night march. Picture by Jonathan Carroll.Women took to the streets for Newcastle's Reclaim the Night march. Picture by Jonathan Carroll.Women took to the streets for Newcastle's Reclaim the Night march. Picture by Jonathan Carroll.Women took to the streets for Newcastle's Reclaim the Night march. Picture by Jonathan Carroll.Women took to the streets for Newcastle's Reclaim the Night march. Picture by Jonathan Carroll.Women took to the streets for Newcastle's Reclaim the Night march. Picture by Jonathan Carroll.Women took to the streets for Newcastle's Reclaim the Night march. Picture by Jonathan Carroll.Women took to the streets for Newcastle's Reclaim the Night march. Picture by Jonathan Carroll.Women took to the streets for Newcastle's Reclaim the Night march. Picture by Jonathan Carroll.Women took to the streets for Newcastle's Reclaim the Night march. Picture by Jonathan Carroll.Women took to the streets for Newcastle's Reclaim the Night march. Picture by Jonathan Carroll.Women took to the streets for Newcastle's Reclaim the Night march. Picture by Jonathan Carroll.Women took to the streets for Newcastle's Reclaim the Night march. Picture by Jonathan Carroll.
THEY'RE empowered, angry and tired, but Newcastle women won't stop until people in positions of power hear their voices - there is no room for sexual violence on the city's streets.
At the first Reclaim the Night march since COVID-19 hit, women, people with disabilities, First Nations people and the LGBTQIA+ community came out in force to demand safety and more funding for organisations against sexual violence.
Organised by What Were You Wearing Australia founder Sarah Williams, the rally was an opportunity to confront the issue head-on.
"We're not going to stop until change has been made," she said.
"Unfortunately there's so much more organisations, institutions and politicians need to be doing to ensure women and children are safe and can walk freely without worrying about anything happening.
"There needs to be a larger connection between institutions like universities, schools and police stations to not only learn about respectful relationships but be held accountable for things they have done in the past or the increasing rates of sexual violence within them.
"They need to want to be a part of the change as well."
Reclaim the Night started in 1977 as a reaction to police in Leeds, England, inviting women to stay off the streets after the Yorkshire Ripper murders.
In the years following, marches have been held across the globe protesting violence against women.
It's still a problem in the Hunter, with NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research data showing an 11.3 per cent increase in reports of sexual assault across Newcastle and Lake Macquarie in the past five years.
And, Ms Williams said they won't stop fighting until three demands are met.
"We want women and children to be able to walk safely in our communities without fear, more funding for sexual and domestic violence organisations from the state and federal governments and mandatory drink spiking tests in all night clubs in NSW," she said.
"It is extremely frustrating because it shouldn't be on us, the victims, survivors and women to be protecting ourselves.
"I think within Newcastle people are having more conversations about it but we still receive messages or stories from individuals in the community nearly every week who have faced some kind of victim-blaming from parents, family, friends or police.
"That goes to show there's still work to be done to change people's understanding of what is and isn't okay."
Ms Williams said despite the prevalence of sexual violence, she's hopeful constructive change will be made in the next five years.
She said she feels Newcastle is more progressive and the protest itself felt very safe.
"Everyone in a way was upset, they're tired of having to come out and march just to be able to walk safely free from sexual harassment and assault," she said.
"It's so devastating that it's something communities still need to fight for."
The march was on Friday.
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