Students Protest Violence on Campus

More than 150 male and female students marched through Cambridge last night to protest violence against women on campus in the third annual "Take Back the Night" rally. After a round of feminist songs in front of Memorial Church, the group snaked through Harvard Square, down to the Charles River, up to the Quad and back to the church, gathering more and more people as it proceeded.

Other Campuses

The rally, organized by the Harvard Women's Center, was timed to coincide with similar marches at other area campuses, including Brandeis, B.U., Northeastern and Wellesley. Coral A. Owens '84, one of the Harvard organizers, explained that the marches were coordinated in response to the rape of four women at Brandeis in the past three months.

During the Harvard rally protesters chanted slogans such as, "What do we want-safe" streets "and" However we dress, wherever we go, yes means yes and no means no. "Guided by marshals with white armbands, the marches frequently stopped traffic during the course of the evening.

Bigger and Louder

"The crowd was bigger and louder than last year, and I was pleased to see a lot of men there," Owens said. She used a megaphone to spur the crowd on during the march.

At a culminating rally in front of Memorial Church, four speakers, all representing different campus organizations, spoke on a variety of issues of special concern to women including safety, sexual harassment, and the justice system towards rape victims, which came under criticism.

Disabled Students

Rani Kronick '84, the head of the college's Disabled Students Organization called for more equitable conditions for disabled women on campus, including a more efficient night escort service.

Kronick also praised Dr. Warren E.C. Wacker, director of University Health Services, for the purchase of special wheelchairs which enabled several disabled students to join the march for the first time.

Another speaker, Elizabeth Young '84, the newly elected president of the Radcliffe Union of Student (RUS), urged to crowd to support the work of the Women's Center and RUS. "We all deserve the right to study about the history of women, to security, to fair health care and not to be sexually harrassed," said young.

Young and the other speakers drew long applause and loud shouts of approval for their remarks.

The Kong

Publicity for the Harvard march was provided by the Hong Kong Restaurant, which paid for several newspaper advertisements.

William Lee, general manager of the Hong Kong said that his organization has supported the march for all three years. "Because of the patronization we get from the Harvard community and the large number of women and students working for us, we want to show out concern," explained Lee.