Take Back the Night 2011

The TBTN Committee of Waterloo Region invites the community to the 28^th annual march and rally on Saturday, November 5^th, 2011 to address the rights of women to be safe, without violence, regardless of age, creed, location, numbers, or attire.

Supporters of TBTN gather for the opening rally at 5:30 p.m. at Waterloo Public Square, on the corner of King Street and Willis Way in Waterloo. The march heads down King Street, through Victoria Park, and ends at Kitchener City Hall.

The Tri City Roller Girls and our regional Aboriginal Women's Drumming Group will be participating in TBTN 2011! The Roller Girls will be taking part in the march, showing their skills along the route. The Aboriginal Women's Drumming Group will be drumming at specific points throughout the evening to open and close spaces, and to acknowledge the land on which the march is taking place.  

TBTN draws attention to the pervasiveness of violence against women in our community. In 2010, Waterloo Regional Police Service responded to 373 sexual assault reports and 6137 domestic violence reports. When we consider that less than 10% of sexual assaults are reported to police nationally, we begin to glimpse the magnitude of gendered violence in our community.

TBTN is an opportunity to publicly celebrate women’s solidarity; women will not be passive and accept violence against them but will instead take action together for change. As a symbolic gesture to say that women should not have to be escorted by men in order to exercise their mobility rights without fearing violence, the march is for community women, transpeople, and children. Men can support TBTN by standing along the route, as well as joining the marchers for the opening rally, and the teach-ins and refreshments following the march.

Community members can get and share more TBTN information via the TBTN facebook event page or by following the TBTN Blog.

We would greatly appreciate advance and post-event coverage of this event. Media inquires can be directed to Sara Casselman, Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region , at (519) 571-0121 X23 or sara@sascwr.org.

Click here to download a PDF of our TBTN poster for 2011

 We march as a symbol of our basic human right to be where we want, when we want, how we want, alone or with another, without the protection of men, and without violence.