Bearsden woman joins Sarah vigil to 'Reclaim The Streets'

A young woman from Bearsden was among hundreds who tied ribbons and left notes on railings at a city park at the weekend in memory of tragic Sarah Everard.
Tributes at the entrance to Kelvingrove Park in GlasgowTributes at the entrance to Kelvingrove Park in Glasgow
Tributes at the entrance to Kelvingrove Park in Glasgow

Organisers Reclaim These Streets asked people to tie a ribbon and a note at four locations - George Square, Queens Park, Kelvingrove Park or the Mary Barbour statue in Govan.

Ms Everard (33) was found dead after she disappeared while walking home in south London earlier this month.

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Local woman Emma Anderson (27) said she wanted to tie a ribbon at the entrance to Kelvingrove Park in the west end of the city because women should be able to go out at night without fear of violence.

She added: “It’s shocking that women have to be constantly looking over their shoulder when they are simply walking home at night.

"Every woman I know has a story about not feeling safe.

"There needs to be a bigger societal change – and men need to listen. Women have been dealing with this forever.”

Reclaim These Streets said the notes and ribbons would be gathered into a "manifesto for change" for real improvements in the lives and safety of all women.

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Nikki Forde, one of the organisers, told BBC Radio Scotland that some women wanted a physical space to support the movement.

She said: "This is a conversation women have been having for years. I think Sarah Everard s story is bringing to light that it can't be a one-sided conversation anymore - it needs to involve the wider population."

Glasgow Book Club, which has a number of local members, left a note in memory of Sarah and of Blessing Olusegun, a young black woman whose body was discovered on a beach in East Sussex last year.

The note read: “We leave this note for Sarah, for Blessing and for all the women who have been made unsafe whilst simply going about their lives.

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“We leave this for the women whose names we know, whose stories we grieve together, and for all of those who have suffered invisibly.

"We think of those further endangered because of their race, sexuality or gender identity. We stand in solidarity with all our sisters, knowing we all must have the right to use our streets and cities without fear.”

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