On Thursday 28 November, over 250 students from all over the west of Scotland took part in the annual Fight for the Night march.

The protest was set up in solidarity with rape and sexual assault victims, and to demand action, raise awareness, and make our streets safer.

The rally was hosted by Strathclyde’s Student Union during their 16 Days of Action campaign against gender-based violence.

Jamie Campbell, Vice President of Community at Strathclyde Student’s Union, spoke on the importance of these marches: “They really draw attention to the issue. It’s not just the people partaking in the march, it’s the people driving by, in their flats, in the shops, walking by. They hear the messages we’re chanting loud and clear.”

Students from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow Clyde College, Glasgow School of Art, the University of Glasgow, and the University of the West of Scotland as well as members of the public took to the streets, shouting powerful chants and displaying their empowering banners demanding the attention of the people passing by.

The march started at Kelvingrove Park and finished at the steps of Buchanan Galleries where we heard speeches from Emma Flynn representing Feminists for a Free Palestine; Niamh Molloy, a Strathclyde student; Jamie Campbell; Iris Duane, Vice President of Student Support at the University of Glasgow; and Alicia Bickerstaff, Vice President of Glasgow School of Art.

Molloy bravely declared in her powerful speech: “Even if our bodies shake and our voices crack; we will not stop fighting, we will not hold back. We stand together, each one of us in this fight, demanding safety for all, every day and every night.”