CORNWALL, Ontario – The annual Take Back the Night march took place in Cornwall on Thursday, Sept. 20, 2018.
The Take Back the Night march is an annual international event that first took place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1975 to raise awareness and fight against violence against women.
“Tonight, we will show that the people of Cornwall will not tolerate these types of crimes,” said Karlyn Fournier, one of the event’s organizers. “We want to say we are safe, that we want to be free of violence and that we support each other.”
More than 50 people, mostly women took part in the march this year which left the bandshell in Lamoureux Park at around 7 p.m.
Marchers then traveled along Water St. to York St. From York St. they crossed Fourth St. E. to get to Pitt St. and then followed Pitt. St. down to the park. During the march, participants shouted slogans clearly stating that all women should be safe to travel the streets at night.
Susanna Neville, a sexual assault survivor explained to the crowd why events like this are important for survivors like herself.
“Once I shared my experience, I was no longer scared to share it,” she said. “Telling my story helped me to find my voice. Telling my story helped me overcome my shame over it.”
