The city's annual Take Back the Night March is set for Sept. 21.
The yearly community event, which traditionally focuses on ending violence against women, has historically been run by essential community organizations in the city, and it has grown tremendously over the past few years.
However, over the years there have been some moments of tension and some challenging discussions around the organizing principles and core values of this event, the event's organizers said this week.
"Feminist organizing efforts continue to grow and change as we work to include all folks affected by sexist oppression," stated Shana Calixte, one of this year's organizers, in a news release promoting the event.
"We really wanted to address some concerns that the march wasn't necessarily connecting all the dots with other movements of anti-oppression, like Black Lives Matter, missing and murdered indigenous women and girls, the many murders of trans people, as well as those who are a part of the critical disability rights movements."
So this year, the group has decided to try something different.
A small group of local community activists, not aligned with any particular organization, have decided to organize the event.
This group includes voices organizers say are often still left out of feminist conversations: trans, black, disabled and indigenous people.
The values of the march, as written on the poster are simple: anti-racist, anti-colonial and anti-oppressive.
"We are a diverse group, and honour and respect the history of the radical feminists that have come before us," said Laurel O’Gorman, also an organizer.
"We have come together to make this a truly grassroots event, with the hopes of widening the discussion about how we, as an intersectional and diverse community demanding equity, really Take Back the Night."
More than 200 people are expected to gather at the Shkagamik-kwe Community Centre (105 Elm Street) and then march through the downtown core.
The march will be led by women and survivors, and has also called for all those who have hand drums to lead the march.
The event starts at 6 p.m. with food and drinks, a rally at 6:30 p.m., with the march starting at 7 p.m. Organizers say all who share the "core values" of this event are welcome to attend.
For more information about the march, contact O’Gorman at [email protected].
