Office for Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance holds annual Take Back the Night march

The annual Take Back the Night march took place on Thursday night, hosted by the Rutgers Office for Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance in collaboration with Safe + Sound Somerset. The event also commemorated Denim Day, traditionally recognized on the last Wednesday of April in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

The event began with poster making, as attendees and cosponsors collaborated to spread the message of stopping sexual assault. Speeches from organizers and attendees followed, as survivors were invited to speak in a space of empowerment.

Dr. Rebecca Vazquez, Director of the VPVA Office, said that the purpose of the event was to ensure that people continue to “raise our voices around how we need more safety in our streets, in our homes, in our relationships. It has to be an ongoing push for that, because in 2026 we shouldn’t be fighting this hard and yet we have to.”

She also spoke on the history of Take Back the Night, which began in San Francisco in 1973, and came to Rutgers’ campus in the late 1970s. Dr. Vasquez cited the disproportionate increase of violence towards women and other marginalized communities within the past year, and invited attendees to join her in channeling their anger to push forward on behalf of survivors.

“Get angry at the systems that hold up rape culture and deny accountability to those who cause harm. Get angry at the individuals who choose violence. Get angry at the dwindling of resources to combat this epidemic on our campus and in our world.”

Joelle Piercy, Director of Community Outreach and Prevention at Safe + Sound Somerset, discussed the importance of community connection and belonging as a protective factor against violence. “To be in a space where people feel safe, feel comfortable, and don’t feel isolated, that is a critical piece of not just supporting people impacted by violence, but also working towards a future without violence.”

Madeline, a graduate intern for VPVA, played a key role in organizing this year’s Take Back the Night. In her speech, she spoke on the importance of recognizing and believing survivors. “Our culture continues to perpetuate the notion that survivors are just another number in the larger pool of data that defines our country. We often disregard the fact that survivors are people, with stories, experiences, passions, hobbies, thoughts, feelings, and memories, that expand beyond their victimization.” she said. “Society looks at survivors through the lens of being wounded, and needing pity, yet does little to nothing to offer justice or rehabilitation. Time and time again, the system fails survivors.”

The floor was opened to attendees for a “survivor speak out session.” Many speakers discussed their experiences with VPVA and its importance towards the healing process. Two representatives from Alpha Chi Omega spoke about the sorority’s philanthropic initiatives for domestic violence awareness and education. One attendee spoke about the necessity to look beyond campus, and recognize the global victims of systemic sexual assault, including Palestinians and undocumented people held in prisons.

Attendees then marched from College Hall on Douglass to the VPVA office on College Avenue, chanting various slogans against sexual assault, including “We have the power, we have the right, we are here to take back the night.” The march traveled down George Street, garnering support from local onlookers.

Jackelinne, an undergraduate intern for VPVA, spoke to WRSU about her research initiatives with the Office as well as the history of Denim Day. Denim Day began in 1999, after the Italian Supreme Court overturned a rape conviction because the victim was wearing tight jeans, with the judges ruling that the jeans “implied consent.”

“Since then, people have taken to the streets wearing denim to say that this is not just, this is not right. On Rutgers, you might see people walking around with a teal pin, that’s just a subtle way to show your support.”

WRSU also spoke to Solange Ramkissoon, Senior Survivor Services Specialist at the NJ Coalition Against Sexual Assault, about VPVA’s importance at Rutgers. “We want people to be encouraged that even if they are not ready to get the help right away, that they can at least talk to somebody,” she said. “We don’t really know how trauma interfaces with a person because it’s so complex, and to have that at campus while you’re going through not just college struggles, but maybe interpersonal or gender violence, it’s great to have someone you can relate to from that perspective and that’s something that every survivor wishes that they could have.”

The Office for Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance promotes educational initiatives towards prevention to decrease violence on campus. For more information on their work, visit https://vpva.rutgers.edu/

Avani Trivedi contributed to this story.