The Take Back the Night march has taken place downtown Prince George for the last 20 years. This was the scene a couple of years ago as people marched on George Street.
Take Back the Night, the annual protest against violence against women, starts at the steps of Prince George City Hall this Friday at 7 p.m.
The event, in its 21st year, honours the memory of women who have not survived violence, celebrates those who have and demands an end to it.
About 200 people attended last year and the same number is expected this year.
The march is for women and children only.
Men are invited to only attend the reception held after the march at 8 p.m. to show their support. Hot beverages and snacks will be provided by the Men Against Violence Against Women committee.
"This was the consensus after we conducted a poll at last year's event," said coordinator Asia Marquette-Halikowski, whose mother Lynnell Halikowski was coordinator of the event years ago and took Asia with her, even as an infant. She's been going since 1992, the year she was born.
Chants like Shatter the Silence, Stop the Violence; Women Unite, Take Back the Night will be heard throughout the rally and walk downtown.
The downtown walk is a symbol of the freedom and security women would like to enjoy, knowing they're safe at any time when they are in the core of the city.
The first Take Back the Night on record was held at the International Tribunal on Crimes Against Women in 1976 in Brussels, Belgium.
There were two events held in Prince George before the Friday march. The first one held Sept. 10, hosted by SOS, Surpassing Our Survival Society at AWAC Women's Shelter, saw about seven women make posters and noise makers in preparation for the protest.
The second event, held a week later, was an expressive meditation led by Indrani Margolini and attended by at least 15 women at the same location.
"This year there will be a craft table at the event so people can make their own posters," said Marquette-Halikowski, who works at SOS Society. "We'll have some slogans on hand so people don't have to come up with their own if they don't want. There will also be snips of ribbon people can write on fabric markers -- words of inspiration, experience or anything else they want to share and all the ribbons will be put on a clothes line at the march."
There's also quilts for the Hazel White project on display on Friday. Women created the quilts to tell their life story or convey a message of healing from sexual violence.
"For me, this march has always been an embodied statement of our community's commitment
to stopping violence regardless if it's against women or men or children or youth. It's just about raising awareness," said Marquette Halikowski."
