The best signs from the 'Reclaim the Night' protest against sexual violence and victim blaming
Thousands of women took to the streets of Manchester, UK, on Thursday evening to protest sexual violence, street harassment and victim blaming.
The first "Reclaim the Night" march took place in 1977 after police implemented a curfew while the "Yorkshire Ripper" -- an English serial killer who murdered 13 women between 1975 and 1980 -- was active in the north of England.
Women across the country were angered when Yorkshire police told local women not to go out at night, effectively putting them under curfew. On Nov. 12, 1966, women marched in cities across the UK to fight for a woman's right to walk without fear at night.
Forty years on from that historic night, women in Manchester brandished homemade signs and banners as they marched for a cause that's just as relevant now as it was four decades ago. Of course, it wouldn't be a protest without a sign about Beyoncé.
Many signs focused on victim blaming in relation to women's clothing.
"Rape predates the mini skirt."
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"Bye, don't touch me."
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The Force was strong with protesters at the march.
Some were fighting for the right to party without fear of being raped.
"Sick of being scared to walk home alone."
"Vulvas against violence."
"No means no."
Topics Activism
Rachel Thompson is the Features Editor at Mashable. Rachel's second non-fiction book The Love Fix: Reclaiming Intimacy in a Disconnected World is out now, published by Penguin Random House in Jan. 2025. The Love Fix explores why dating feels so hard right now, why we experience difficult emotions in the realm of love, and how we can change our dating culture for the better.
A leading sex and dating writer in the UK, Rachel has written for GQ, The Guardian, The Sunday Times Style, The Telegraph, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Stylist, ELLE, The i Paper, Refinery29, and many more.
Rachel's first book Rough: How Violence Has Found Its Way Into the Bedroom And What We Can Do About It, a non-fiction investigation into sexual violence was published by Penguin Random House in 2021.
