On Thursday evening in Confederation Park, the skies threatened to pour, but no amount of rain could silence the voices of a community gathered to “Take Back the Night” from a culture of sexual violence.

Taking to the streets, amidst the chant of the crowd, survivors and supporters alike told their stories.

“There’s a statistic that I’ve learned recently. Nobody has ever been expelled from Queen’s for sexual assault. When I told that to someone else tonight, they were appalled. Because we know this happens.”

— Rebecca Benson

“One of the most impactful things is getting men out to these events. This isn’t women against men. It’s all of us against violence against women, which is more powerful.”

— Tyler Snook, Sci ’18, with Jena Hudson, ArtSci ’18

“It’s not just women anymore. We’re trying to make the march more inclusive of all people. It’s women, it’s men, it’s non-binary people, and that’s amazing because this started in second wave feminism and that can be somewhat more exclusive … I think it’s really more student activism that’s making progress rather than universities’ policies.”

— Emily, with Payal, both ArtSci ’17

“Look at my balloon! There’s a light in it.”

— Aria, age four

“You know the feeling when your heart is kind of full? That’s what it is. You feel safe, automatically. You feel okay to be here … We’re getting there. But we haven’t got there. Especially with the Indigenous community with regard to the missing women and the LGBTQ community, there’s a long way to go.”

— Zelia Bukhari, ArtSci ’18