By
Michelle McCollum
Arizona Daily Wildcat
'Take Back the Night' event expanded to not focus solely on women's issues
It was a clear, starry night Friday when more than 100 UA students marched to take it back.
At the University of Arizona's fourth annual "Take Back the Night" event, students and community members rallied for more awareness of issues regarding violence, especially those relating to women.
They marched against "nighttime" crimes like rape and domestic violence, which, according to their chants, could be prevented through better awareness and more government intervention.
"Hey hey, ho ho, George Bush has got to go" and "racist, sexist, anti-gay you can't take our streets away" echoed off surrounding buildings in an attempt to "take back the night."
"In order to have a strong democracy, we must have an educated electorate, and in order to have that, voices must be heard," said Lee Ann Crickenberger, a political science junior. "Those voices are not being heard by the political system right now, so they must be heard through other means, like protests."
Crickenberger, co-director of the UA Women's Resource Center run through the Associated Students, said while the event focused primarily on rape, sexual assault and domestic violence against women and children, crimes against men were addressed as well. It was not a man-hating cause, she added.
Matt Case, a history education junior, was one of the many men in attendance.
"I have to show support because, being associated with the oppressor, I have to show that males can be feminists too," he said.
Preceding the march, non-profit organizations presented information on various forms of abuse around the world as well as here in Tucson. Amnesty International, Planned Parenthood and the Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Commission for the City of Tucson were a few.
"The bottom line is that women's rights are, by definition, human rights," said George Torrieri, a physics graduate student and member of Amnesty International.
But the Republican government isn't paying attention to that, said Imarra Anderson of Tucson Centers for Women and Children.
"Congress appropriated $5 billion country-wide to stop violence against women, which is $209 million less than was actually set out for 2001," Anderson said. "So congress is back-tracking. The money has been appropriated to us, but we're not getting it."
Denouncing Congress and the president for cut funding wasn't the main focus for most of the demonstrators, however.
Most just wanted to make the community aware that rape and domestic violence are problems and there are organizations to help victims of such crimes, said Mae Casey, an English composition and secondary education sophomore.
"It's really important on the college campus because this is a big campus," Casey said. "Everyone runs the risk of being assaulted at night. It's a concern of everyone - men and women."
Heading west on East University Boulevard, then south on North Fourth Avenue, demonstrators marched to the beat of makeshift water container drums. They passed restaurants, stores, and even Centennial Hall, where a large crowd of theater patrons applauded the movement.
But not everyone applauded - sounds of jeers and distorted chants mimicked the demonstrators' efforts.
Lilly DeSantiago, a family studies senior, is the director of UA's Campus Acquaintance Rape Educators program and was Friday night's emcee. She said to hear such jeers was heart-breaking.
"'Take Back the Night' is for everyone," DeSantiago said. "It's really easy for people to label us as 'Femi-Nazis' who hate men, because it keeps them in a safe zone of denial that rape doesn't exist. They think it won't happen to them, that they won't be a victim. But the fact is, anyone can be a victim. Abusers don't tell you on the first date they're going to beat you up three years from now."
"Take Back the Night" is a 28-year-old event held in many cities and countries around the world and concentrates on abuse against women. UA adopted the cause in 1998.
