20th anniversary of Reclaim the Night
By Michele Wickham
SYDNEY — The Reclaim the Night organising collective here will mark its 20th anniversary on October 30 with a march and rally on the theme "Hands off — our bodies are ours".
With these events the collective aims to raise awareness about the extent of sexual violence perpetrated against women and children, emphasise that women have a basic human right to freedom from such violence and celebrate the strength of women and children who survive sexual violence.
The event will demand that the government restores the funding that has been cut from sexual assault services in recent years, and acknowledges the extent and effects of sexual assault and violence on women and children.
The march will begin with a rally in Hyde Park north at 7pm, then proceed down Macquarie Street to NSW Parliament House, then down Bridge Street and George Street to First Fleet Park at Circular Quay.
Men are invited to line the route of the march to express their anger at violence against women and to support women's right to organise autonomously.