Look: Suffolk’s women Reclaim the Night with march against sexual violence

Ipswich town centre was filled with light and noise as the women of Suffolk marched to tell people they have the right to feel safe on the streets after dark.

Hundreds came together outside the University of Suffolk with glowsticks, banners and whistles to make their case in a Reclaim the Night march dedicated to ending violence against women.

Members of Suffolk Rape Crisis, the Suffolk Feminist Society Network and the University of Suffolk Students’ Union came together with the public and chanted as they walked through the town centre to an audience of late night shoppers.

Amy Roch, Director of Suffolk Rape Crisis who organised the march, said: “It was such a positive experience marching with so many women all for the same cause.

“To be a part of this was just incredible, we crossed paths with the ghost caribou on the Cornhill which put our march and message in front of so many people.

“We are often told there is a ‘commitment to tackling this issue’, but just saying the words isn’t enough. We need action. In the words of the suffragettes, we need to see deeds, not words.”

Dr Helen Pankhurst, the new chancellor of the University of Suffolk and great-granddaughter of prominent suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst, expressed her support for the march too.

She added: “It is great that the University of Suffolk Students’ Union is celebrating the 16 days of activism with a march.

“Personal and physical safety is a basic right that is denied to far too many people – particularly women and girls. Voicing concern, showing solidarity, demanding better – these are important ways forward.”