take back the night

Story by Tiffany Farber and Jessica Halverson

I t was dark when the rain began to douse the candles, but under the shelter of umbrellas and ponchos, the dedicated crowd seemed not to notice.

They were there for a reason: to take back the night.

Many who attended the annual "Take Back the Night" rally and candlelight vigil were victims of violence or knew of someone who was. Others were just there to stop the "it can't happen to me" myth.

On Wednesday, Sept. 20, a group of nearly 100 students and community members gathered to honor victims of domestic violence and rape with a candlelight vigil at Showalter Fountain. When the rain doused the flames of the candles, they were rekindled, as was the determination of junior jimmanee Spears after becoming a victim of rape in middle school. Spears, one of the leaders of Take Back the Night, said that when she was harassed she would not back down.

At dusk on Thursday, candles flickered again, this time in Dunn Meadow, as protesters of violence and rape gathered for a rally and march.

Sounds from the bands Serendipity and Sally Anthony filled the crisp autumn air before several officials and women's advocates took the stage to speak to the crowd. "You stay because anywhere you can go, he can go. When he finds you, well, his rage will make former abuse seem mild .... You stay because you don't know who you are anymore," said Marsha Bradford, Coordinator of Bloomington's Safe and Civil City, as she read from the story of Betty Hamlin, a victim of domestic violence.

The end of the speeches brought the beginning of the march. Hundreds of protestors filed onto the streets and sidewalks with a shout of, "End the silence; stop the violence!"

The thunderous protest through campus paused when silence in memory of the victims fell over the crowd on Indiana Avenue.

The last stop of the march was the Monroe County Courthouse, the scene of an emotional gathering of survival and support. Victims and advocates stood before a focused crowd to speak about their experiences. "Tonight I want to talk about the celebration of life," said survivor Mandi Priest, who was raped at the age of 18. "This is not just one week out of the year. It's everyday, it's every hour," she continued.

One speaker's mother and pregnant stepsister were murdered by his stepsister's husband. "I found my mother and I witnessed the crime scene firsthand. It has haunted me this past year, in my sleeping and waking hours .... You have the right to be free from any kind of abuse."

Left: Junior Allison Richardson chants slogans while Take Back the Night participants march down Third Street to the Courthouse Square. Photo by Bryan van der Beek

Below: The crowd of supporters streams to the Courthouse Square in silence while carrying candles in memory of abused women.The square was the the last stop of the group's march. Photo by Bryan van der Beek