From the press release:
The 34th annual Take Back the Night march and rally to end sexual violence will be tonight, Thursday, April 18. Take Back the Night is an event aimed at raising awareness around sexual violence by bringing together survivors, community members, students, and other allies during a time of day that is often associated with violence.
A joint project by the University of Illinois’ Women’s Resource Center and Rape Advocacy, Counseling and Education Services, the event will kick off with a march at 7:00 p.m. Participants will begin gathering at 6:30 p.m. in the Lincoln Square Mall parking lot on the corner of Race and Green Streets in Urbana. The march will head west into Campus town and culminate behind the Illini Union on the UI Quad. This event is open to everyone.
Molly McLay, Assistant Director at the Resource Center, explains the importance of the event:
I work with college women on a daily basis, many of them are afraid to walk alone at night for fear of sexual violence. Not only does Take Back the Night provide a great opportunity for sexual violence survivors to speak out and tell their stories; it empowers all women to walk confidently together and reclaim a night that should never have been taken from them.
We plan to march in the rain, barring lightening or other dangerous conditions. For questions, please call Stephanie Ames at (217) 344-6298. To learn more about R.A.C.E.S. visit the website..