Strong women stand united at Hull Justice for our Sisters rally
IT COMES AFTER A RECENT RISE IN DRINK SPIKING
I am doing this for my daughter and I am doing this for your daughters, please stand up with us, this is not the dark ages, we should not have to put up with it
SCORES of women came forward at the Justice for our Sisters rally in Hull on Sunday to stand united for the safety of women.
The rally took place at Queen Victoria Square and came after the recent rise in drink spiking cases.
Attendees stood in solidarity for all the girls, women and others who were simply trying to walk home or have a good night out when they were taken advantage of and assaulted.
Placards reading “The length of my dress does not turn my no into a yes”, “Flagging down a bus won’t help us now”, “I ... we ... she ... they were just walking home” could be seen in the crowd of more than 100 people who were in attendance.
One woman said: “It’s clear that every single one of us here today has had that fear of walking home.
“This has happened to so many people, I guarantee you someone you know would have experienced violence, assault or advances of some form.
“We will not stay quiet in Hull. We want to know when we can feel safe to walk on streets, or live in fear after Libby (Squire)’s
Protest speaker Lucy
death, thinking that could be me.”
One of the speakers, Lucy, said: “We are angry and we are tired of always having to be on guard.
“Without challenging these cruel thoughts and calling out people on their actions, we will be stuck in this violent merry-go-round forever and your female family members will have to continue to put up with this archaic cycle.
“I am doing this for my daughter and I am doing this for your daughters, please stand up with us, this is not the dark ages, we should not have to put up with it.”
Following Lucy’s speech, the platform was opened up to anyone who wanted to speak up on their personal experiences.
One individual said they were only six when a grown adult made a comment saying they were “massively sexy”.
They said they felt like a “piece of meat” to men who only valued them for their body.
Later in life, they were assaulted by a person they thought they knew and trusted, causing them to feel “dirty and tainted”.
Another person who spoke up said despite the awful harassment they faced, being cat-called and followed while only being 13 years old, they felt lucky because they know how “bad it can end”, referencing the many women who were brutally raped and killed.
The rally then moved on with a march towards Paragon Interchange, remembering the hundreds of women who were assaulted while they were just trying to get home.