OVER 400 students turned up to demonstrate against violence against women last week.
Two marches took place on North Campus - one for women and one for both genders - to 'Reclaim the Night'.
This was followed by an impassioned rally at the North Campus Students' Union building.
The demonstration kicked off UMSU Women's Week and was part of a national campaign against domestic violence.
Speakers at the rally in the Barnes Wallis building included the NUS Women's Officer Kat Stark and local Labour parliamentary candidate Lucy Powell.
Veteran feminist campaigner Ju Gosling was present and drew comparisons between the oppression of women 50 years ago and disabled citizens today.
Fellow speaker Lucy Powell said: "When I was at university fifteen years ago I went on similar marches to reclaim the night.
"While I am proud that so many people have turned up and that I have been invited, I am saddened that there is still a need for demonstrations of this kind."
The other speakers echoed her sentiments, but noted the impressive male presence at the gathering last weekend.
UMSU Women's Officer Elizabeth Somerville, who organised the event, was very impressed with the turnout, saying: "I'm really overwhelmed by the number of people who have turned up and how well it's gone.
"I feel that it really was the dawn of a new feminist consensus, especially considering how many men turned up to the march.
"The number of people on the mixed gender march was almost as large as the number of people on the women's march, showing that gender doesn't affect willingness to fight inequality."
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