"We're marching to show that the nights are ours"

THOUSANDS JOIN DEMONSTRATION IN THE CITY CENTRE

- NICOLE WOOTTON-CANE

THE streets of Manchester are no stranger to protest - and every November, one night belongs to a march born over 40 years ago.

Reclaim the Night was introduced in 1977 in response to the police response to the Yorkshire Ripper murders, which instructed women to stay home after dark.

That night, women took to the streets in cities across the UK to show their anger. Today, the impetus changes but the message stays the same - women have a right to be safe at night.

Thousands of people of all genders marched last night from Manchester University Students' Union through the city centre. As they walked down Oxford Road they held banners and shouted chants including 'Whose streets? Our streets' and 'My body, my choice!