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This years TBTN St. John’s will be held at HARBOURSIDE PARK from 6pm-8pm and will include music, refreshments, community booths and engaging speakers.

TBTN St. John’s acknowledges this event as an opportunity to reclaim the dark spaces that sexual violence has created in our lives and in our communities.

All genders and ages welcomed and encouraged, but please center the experience of people most targeted by sexual violence.

We have heard and appreciate all the feedback given to us from the community. We may not be able to implement all of them this year, however we will be working to incorporate them for TBTN and all of our other future events.

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Since the 1960s, Take Back the Night (TBTN) has been an event that invites individuals to unite in an empowering rally that raises awareness of issues relating to gender inequality and sexual violence, held in cities all over the world.

Here in St. John’s, the NLSACPC and community partners have been holding a TBTN event for 38 years. While we have made some progress;

• The rate of sexual assault in Newfoundland and Labrador continues to be higher than the national average.

• In Labrador, sexual violence against Indigenous women and gender-diverse folks is FOUR times the national average.

• The need for the criminal justice system to be educated on and enact best practices in its response to survivors of all sexual violence is still urgent – we see its harm every day.

It is clear that we need to rise.

We won’t be marching. Publicly available information suggests that the culture of an institution meant to protect has also facilitated sexual violence against members of the community.

Taking into consideration the sexual violence perpetrated by a number of professionals in criminal justice institutions, we cannot support the traditional practice of having the police lead us through the downtown streets; a practice put in place to facilitate the rolling traffic closures required for our march. We have adapted.

This year we will be holding a gathering (which will follow public health protocols) in HARBOURSIDE PARK. There will be music, community booths, refreshments and engaging speakers.

We would also like to acknowledge that we know sexual violence is overwhelmingly perpetrated by people known to us and outside the cover of darkness. With this in mind, we’d like to formally acknowledge that TBTN St. John’s isn’t just about taking back our streets after dark. “Taking back the night” can also mean reclaiming those dark spaces where shame, self-doubt and fear have been existing inside us, and inviting solidarity, community and resilience into them. It is also intended to shed light on the dark reality of just how pervasive sexual violence is right here in Newfoundland and Labrador.

TBTN has always been an opportunity to voice the significant inequities faced by individuals and communities who are experiencing higher levels of violence, discrimination, and secondary wounding.

With this in mind, the NLSACPC welcomes all individuals to participate in TBTN St. John’s but asks that attendees create a safe, inclusive space for survivors especially from marginalized genders, ethnicities, sexualities, minority groups, and persons affected by mental health and disabilities. We respectfully ask that all participants prioritize the space for people who are most often targeted for sexual violence.

TBTN St. John’s also recognizes that children and youth need to have their voice heard. All attendees are welcome and encouraged to bring their children and/or dependents.

Facebook Event Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/1147185196233137/