More than 300 University of Wisconsin students and Madison residents marched down State and Langdon Streets Saturday evening during the 21st annual “Take back the night” protest against sexual assault and violence.
To kick off the rally, protesters convened on the west steps of the Capitol where several speakers addressed the crowd, including Lieutenant Gov. Barbara Lawton, and local female groups Womansong and Stringfish gave musical performances.
Lawton told the crowd Wisconsin citizens must acknowledge that sexual assault is the violent assertion of male dominance. Lawton said as a democratic society, the state must pass legislation to ensure gender equity and freedom from harassment and violence.
“We can, and do, have the means to bring an end to violence against women and sexual assault,” Lawton said. “I believe it’s a political remedy that’s in the hands of us as activist citizens.”
Lawton also said there is a need for further access to medical care and emergency contraception for rape victims. During her speech, Lawton encouraged protesters to fill out scripted postcards to state Rep. Gregg Underheim, R-Oshkosh, asking him to co-sponsor the “Compassionate Care for Rape Victims Bill.” The bill would provide Wisconsin rape victims with more thorough physical and psychological treatment.
“[Stopping sexual violence] starts by acknowledging a woman as an autonomous being and respecting her reproductive freedom,” Lawton said. “Respecting her reproductive rights and her access to medical care, including emergency contraception — fill out the cards.”
Some survivors of sexual assaults donned green armbands during the rally to identify themselves, while counselors to victims wore orange and yellow armbands.
UW fifth-year senior Melissa Tonic wore a green armband at the rally and said while her own assault occurred nearly four years ago, the experience still affects her today.
“It definitely is a daily thing that you live with,” Tonic said in an interview prior to the march. “It’s something you take with as a life experience, and you move on and hope you can be there to support others.”
Accompanied by police escorts, activist protesters marched down State and Langdon Streets after the Capitol rally, holding a banner reading “Take back the night.” The march ended at UW library mall for a candlelight vigil and survivor story confessionals.
For the majority of the march, survivors and protesters shouted chants including, “Yes means yes, no means no, however we dress, wherever we go!”
However, the crowd observed a “silent block” on the corner of Henry and Gillman streets in remembrance of a sexual assault victim who did not survive.
Once arriving at library mall, numerous sexual assault survivors took stage for almost two hours to tell their own stories and those of others while asserting their own strength and voice.
“I am not a victim; I am a survivor,” pronounced one female activist. “And I have a voice!”
“Take back the night,” rally against sexual violence is held every year to celebrate April as Wisconsin’s sexual assault and violence awareness month.
