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'RECLAIM THE STREETS' 
Chalking inspired by @catcallsofnyc 

On November 14th 2022, SASHA took to 'reclaiming the streets' by chalking out our members' experiences of sexual harassment around our university campus. This event was largely inspired by the work @catcallsofnyc do, in order to amplify survivors' voices and provoke conversations around the prevalence of public sexual harassment as well as 'catcalling'.

Unfortunately, this hard work was erased when the testimonies were removed not even an hour later by university cleaners and it was branded "offensive". By wiping away our testimonies, the university effectively had a role in silencing victims of sexual assault and harassment and contributed to the wider erasure victims of sexual violence continue to experience in society.

We will continue to hold activist events such as this one regardless of how it was treated to fight against stigma around sexual violence. Thank you to all the members that put in the effort to share their stories, to all survivors we hear and see you. 

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See below the testimonies sent in and written by our members before they were removed:

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@sasha_uol - #catcallnotcompliment

Some of these testimonies are shocking and candid, but that is the point. They are meant to stun people and provoke outrage at the comments people experience in the public - imagine how it must feel for those who experienced them first-hand. 

If you would like to share your experience with sexual harassment in Leeds, you can submit a testimony here!

If you want to speak to anyone about your experiences, you can access resources here.   

Due to the wide attention this event garnered, we were invited to speak on Leeds Student Radio about the erasure of the sexual harassment testimonies and contacted the University of Leeds for their response. Here are quotes pulled from their letter:

The safety and wellbeing of our students is our top priority. In line with our zero-tolerance approach, we encourage anyone who has experienced sexual assault or harassment to report offences to the police. 
- A spokesperson for the University of Leeds

Alexa Young, CA

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