University students can march against sexual violence tonight at the annual Take Back the Night march and rally.
The event, hosted by Sexual Assault Support Services and the Women’s Center, begins at 5 p.m. in the EMU Amphitheater with music by reggae artist Norma Fraser.
At 6:30 p.m., there will be a rally in the amphitheater led by the Radical Cheerleaders and speakers from campus and community groups.
The march begins at 8 p.m. in the amphitheater and will end downtown at the intersection of Eighth Avenue and Oak Street.
Following the march, acoustic folk musician Nicole Barrett, salsa drumming group Bloco Amazhina and the Young Women’s Theater Collective will perform. There will also be a “speak-out,” where survivors of sexual assault can share their experiences.
Women’s Center Events Coordinator Heather Mitchell said the rally will be open to all, but the march will be divided into “designated safe areas” separated by banners. The front of the march will be reserved for women. The middle section will be designated for “gender queer” people who may not identify exclusively with one gender or the gender they were assigned at birth, she said.
“The back of the march is going to be an open space for men, women — just everybody,” she said.
American Sign Language interpretation and return transportation to campus will be provided.
For more information about Take Back the Night, contact the Women’s Center at 346-4095.
— Kara Cogswell