Rally at Angels Corner this morning
When violence against women isn’t front and centre in the media, it’s still an issue in our communities, says Connie Pike of Coalition Against Violence Avalon East (CAVAE).
She says it’s something that happens every day, and there are many people suffering in silence.
With this in mind, Pike, some community leaders and members of the public will hold a rally this morning at Angels Corner in St. John’s.
“The main goal is just to remind people why Angels Corner is there, and the intent behind it, and to ask people to be more vigilant about what’s going on in their community around them, and just be more sensitive to the needs of victims of violence,” said Pike.
Angels Corner was put in place at the corner of Prescott and Duckworth streets in 2011 as a memorial to female victims of violence.
Recently, the City of St. John’s committed to revitalize the area, which features a storyboard, a plaque, flowerbeds and a bench.
“It’s going to be hard to see there with the snow and that now, but they’ve done a little bit of cleanup thus far,” Pike said.
“They’re going to be planting some more things there when the springtime rolls around.”
The rally this morning will feature speakers from several community organizations close to the issue of violence against women, including the Newfoundland and Labrador Sexual Assault Crisis and Prevention Centre, the St. John’s Native Friendship Centre and the St. John’s Women’s Centre.
A purple ribbon will be cut, and brochures created by families of women who were murdered will be distributed.
“When something tragic happens in the community, all our attention is focused on that, but then when that tragedy is passed — for some people that can mean 15 minutes later; for some people it might mean five days later — but when that tragedy passes people forget that this is still very much with us, it’s still considered a private matter, it’s still going on in our community, and many, many people are still suffering in silence even though it’s not in the media every day,” said Pike.
“So we’re just trying to refocus and remind people that it does happen each and every single day.”
The rally begins at 11:30 a.m.