Today marks the return of the annual “Take Back the Night,” a sexual assault awareness march and rally hosted by Portland State’s Women’s Resource Center.
Tonight brings annual ‘Take Back the Night’
Today marks the return of the annual “Take Back the Night,” a sexual assault awareness march and rally hosted by Portland State’s Women’s Resource Center.
The event, which starts at 6 p.m. and is in conjunction with Sexual Assault Awareness Month, includes a march to the South Park Blocks, testimonies from survivors of sexual or domestic violence, a rally and an interfaith vigil. Event organizers say the event provides a safe space and a place for survivors to regain some power that may have been taken from them.
Performances by the Sprockettes, a mini-bike dance troupe, and local hip-hop artist Kritik, are scheduled for the event. The Women’s Resource Center (WRC) hopes the event will encourage people to take a stand against sexual violence.
New this year is “Bike Back the Night,” a community bicycle ride, which is a prelude to the events on campus. Bike Back the Night is a collaboration between the PSU Bicycle Cooperate and the Portland Women’s Crisis Line. Riders can check in at 4:30 p.m. at Colonel Summer’s Park and then ride to PSU at 6 p.m.
“The purpose of this event is to bring awareness to sexual assault and the fact that we live in a rape culture, a culture that contributes to patriarchal and heterosexist values which feed into rape and sexual violence,” said Melanie Smith, events coordinator for the WRC.