Portsmouth women stage protest in city centre demanding change in men's behaviour

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PROTESTERS have taken to Portsmouth’s streets to demand a change in the way women are treated by men.

Following the high-profile death of 33-year-old Sarah Everard earlier this month, campaign groups have taken to the streets under the #ReclaimTheseStreets campaign.

Now, a branch of this group has been set up in Portsmouth, with a protest being held on Saturday, March 27 in Guildhall Square.

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With countless women having stories to share of sexual assault, harassment and intimidation, it is hoped that raising awareness will bring about a real change in the way women are treated in the city.

The Reclaim These Streets protest in Guildhall Square, Portsmouth, on March 27, 2021. Picture: Jon Neil PhotographyThe Reclaim These Streets protest in Guildhall Square, Portsmouth, on March 27, 2021. Picture: Jon Neil Photography
The Reclaim These Streets protest in Guildhall Square, Portsmouth, on March 27, 2021. Picture: Jon Neil Photography
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Organiser Maddy-Storm Hall, from Southsea, said more than 250 people attended yesterday’s protest.

‘It went really well, we’re happy with how things went down,’ she said.

‘Following Sarah Everard’s death I saw the movement start to spread, and decided to make a Portsmouth group. It’s important to keep spreading the message, to make this widespread.

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‘Plenty of people want to fight for this cause – so many women in the city have been victims of this in some form or another, and we want to bring that to an end.’

Maddy-Storm said this past month has highlighted just how little some people know about what happens in their area.

She said: ‘People aren’t necessarily aware of what happens in the dark corners and alleyways of Portsmouth.

‘Violence against women affects everyone, and almost every woman has a story to tell.

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‘These abusers could be your friends, your family or people from your work.

‘We all have a role in keeping an eye on holding one another responsible for our actions.’

Maddy-Storm and other protesters are aiming to create a legislative change that sees harsher punishments for abusers.

She said all Portsmouth demonstrations will be Covid secure, with social distancing enforced with masks, hand sanitiser and chalk markings.

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‘We won’t stop fighting until we get justice, and real change,’ she added.

Sarah Everard’s body was found in a woodland near Ashford, Kent, on March 10, after she went missing in London on March 3.

On March 24, Metropolitan Police said a cause of death has still not been identified.

PC Wayne Couzens, a serving Met Police officer, has been charged with her kidnap and murder.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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