The organisers want to make the streets “safe for all women”.
A vigil in the wake of the #ReclaimTheseStreets movement is set to take place in Birmingham this weekend. The movement comes just days after the tragic disappearance of 33-year-old Sarah Everard in London, who was last seen in Clapham Common walking home from her friend’s house last Wednesday at around 9.30pm. The case currently remains unsolved, however, two people were arrested this week on suspicion of being connected to her disappearance.
Sarah’s disappearance has sparked a huge conversation on social media this week, with many women coming forward to say that they do not feel safe walking the streets. Men have also joined in on the conversation, asking women what they could do to help make women feel safer when walking alone.
The vigil is expected to take place at Victoria Square this Saturday, with organisers saying of the movement: “We believe that streets should be safe for women, regardless of what you wear, where you live, or what time of day or night it is. We shouldn’t have to wear bright colours when we walk home and clutch our keys in our fists to feel safe [and] it’s wrong that the response to violence against women requires women to behave differently.
“In Clapham, police told women not to go out at night this week [but] women are not the problem.
“We’ve all been following the tragic case of Sarah Everard over the last week [so] this is a vigil for Sarah, but also for all women who feel unsafe, who go missing from our streets and who face violence every day. This event is for and about those who identify as women and non-binary, but open to all.”