“No more violence, no more rape,” chanted a group of students as they marched along Gayley Avenue on Thursday night in support of survivors of sexual violence.
At nightfall, UCLA community members lit candles and candidly shared their experiences with sexual violence as part of the Take Back the Night event, hosted by the Clothesline Project at UCLA.
The vigil was designed to educate the community about sexual violence and the number of people it affects, said Jennifer Wang, the organizer of Take Back the Night. She added that sexual violence is a problem even at UCLA.
“It happens in all realms,” she said.
Amid tears, two students shared stories of being sexually assaulted on the UCLA campus.
“It was shocking to me that this happened,” one student said.
The vigil was opened by UCLA alumna and activist Mariko Passion, who spoke of the difficulties of healing from sexual violence.
“It’s like it’s always with you,” Passion said.
The speakers at the event also discussed the difficulties of speaking out about sexual assault.
One male student said he had been sexually assaulted and had attempted to press charges but was told not to by a district attorney.
The student said he was told he should not press charges because he was male and should have been able to leave if he was being assaulted.
Another individual said she was assaulted in front of her high school. She said a school official intervened, but added that her principal later told her not to tell anyone about the event so that the school’s reputation would not be damaged.
Danielle Kirkwood, a speaker at the vigil, talked about the process of pressing charges against the individual who assaulted her.
“Reporting (sexual assault) is hard,” Kirkwood said.
She added that if she were sexually assaulted again she was unsure of whether she would press charges.
Students attending the event showed support for survivors of sexual violence.
“We love you,” a member of the audience shouted at one point, amid applause.
Elise Waln, a first-year anthropology student, said she heard about the event when checking out the Clothesline Project’s shirt display this week.
Other students, such as first-year global studies student Nam-Giao Do, came in support of friends.
Do said one of her friends was sexually abused and she attended the event in her honor.
After attendees shared their stories, they walked down Gayley Avenue with signs while chanting for an end to sexual violence.
The group proceeded in a circle across Strathmore Avenue and returned to De Neve Plaza from Charles E. Young Drive.
The event also featured two musical performances by groups of UCLA alumni that are active in preventing sexual violence, Wang said.
The night’s entertainment caught the attention of passersby.
Urie Norris, a third-year ethnomusicology student, said he stopped at the event because of the music.
“It’s good they have a live band out here,” Norris said.
The vigil comes after a three-day shirt display in Dickson Court, which was also hosted by the Clothesline Project.