“The Night is Not Enough” Takes Over Phillips Square
March in Montreal Aims to Challenge the Way We Talk About Violence
A group of nearly 50 marchers chanted their way down Ste. Catherine St. W. on Tuesday evening for The Night is Not Enough march, organized by Concordia’s Centre for Gender Advocacy.
The event’s goal was to be as inclusive and take up as much space as possible, said Jada Joseph, a volunteer from A Safer Concordia. The organizers also wanted to steer away from the idea that violence only takes place during the night—a way in which this event differs from previous Take Back the Night events.
“We want to challenge the assumption that violence, gendered violence, only occurs at night,” explained Joseph. “It’s a continuum that starts off with catcalls and can lead to aggressive touching and can expand.”
Representatives from Stella, l’amie de Maimie—a community organization that describes itself as being by and for sex-workers—spoke before the march. They celebrated the evening’s inclusivity, citing that many of the resources available to victims of violence often exclude sex-workers, simply due to their profession.
Joseph stressed the importance of including sex-workers in the march because of the lack of legislation surrounding it, leaving those involved incredibly vulnerable.
“With something that has no regulations, coercion, corruption and violence is something that can easily manifest itself,” Joseph said.
Participant Itzel Danae Dorantes echoed the importance of making marginalized voices heard in public and spoke of how activism behind closed doors can only go so far.
“The public space is a very important scene where so many political and social relationships are articulated,” Dorantes said. “The people who take up that space are the ones who appropriate it.”
