This Thursday night, events in Kitchener and Guelph will highlight the problem of gender-based violence.
Take Back the Night “is an important event for our community,” said Karley Doucette, the education and communications manager with the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region.
“This year we’ve been impacted heavily by a bunch of things in the news. We’ve had the Hockey Canada trial, which has had lasting impacts not only on our community, but beyond,” Doucette said.
Community members were also affected by the acquittal of former Kitchener neurologist Jeffrey Sloka on 48 counts of sexual assault in April this year. The Crown has requested that those acquittals be overturned and for a new trial to take place.
“This [case] has caused a lot of anger and grief and confusion for survivors in Waterloo region. So it’s important for us to let survivors know that we’re here for them, we believe them, and we want to rally around them,” Doucette said.
The event in Kitchener will feature speeches from survivors along with activities for kids such as face painting, workshops, live music, and a photo booth. It will take place at Gaukel Block starting at 6 p. m.
Guelph Event Offers Community and Support
The gathering in Guelph is organized by Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis.
In a press release, Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis states that the event is a chance for people to “find community and solidarity, whether they’ve experienced sexual violence or not.”
Public educator Charlie Butler mentions that it’s also an opportunity to do “something positive to push for change.”
“We scan through the internet and see awful thing after awful thing and we can start to think ‘Does anyone care?’ Going to a rally gets you connected,” Butler said in a release about the event. “There’s a real excitement in gathering together around a shared issue.”
The rally in Guelph will be held at Marianne’s Park on Gordon Street starting at 6:30 p. m. There will be music, poetry, and speeches.
An all-ages free concert featuring indie rock acts OLEXA and Bonnie Trash will also take place at Royal City Mission. Doors open at 8 p. m.
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