More than 100 people gathered on the Pentacrest Tuesday night to participate in the Take Back the Night rally, an annual event against sexual violence.

The event was hosted by the Women’s Resource and Action Center, or WRAC. The University of Iowa counseling services and the Domestic Violence Intervention Program and Rape Victims Advocacy Program, or DVIP and RVAP, also offered tables.

Take Back the Night began in the 1970s, with one of the earliest marches held in Philadelphia in 1975 following the murder of Susan Alexander Speeth, who was stabbed while walking home alone. The movement was founded to protest sexual violence and reclaim public spaces where women felt unsafe, particularly at night.

Jada McDonald, the outreach and programming and violence prevention assistant for WRAC, took the microphone first. Acknowledging that victim-survivors of sexual violence might feel a range of emotions at the event, McDonald said advocates from DVIP and RVAP were available in matching shirts should their services be needed.

“We’re living in strange and unprecedented times, but we are not without precedent,” McDonald said, addressing the crowd.

She encouraged attendees to continue to organize and defend their rights.

A group of radical cheerleaders, who use cheer-style chants and dance as a form of political protest, in WRAC shirts, then performed a routine to the song “Wings” by Little Mix.

Johnson County Supervisor Rod Sullivan, who said he has attended the event in past years, was among the crowd on the Pentacrest.

“I think it’s really important to support victims and survivors and let them know that people are with them,” Sullivan said.

Holding signs with messages including, “No Means No,” “How I dress does not mean yes,” and “We believe you,” attendees then marched through downtown Iowa City chanting messages about opposing rape culture and supporting victim-survivors of sexual violence. The march was met with a couple counter-protesters on the street, but did not stop to engage.

Attendee Tricia Roberts, a recent UI grad, wore a crop top and revealing denim shorts with “Clothing [does not equal] consent” written on her stomach and “Hands Off” written on her legs.

“I think there’s a lot of situations people aren’t talking about, and they’re saying that it’s when people are going out with less clothing that they’re asking for it,” Roberts said.

Roberts said she felt uncomfortable in her outfit but wore it intentionally to make the point that rape and sexual violence can happen regardless of what someone is wearing, and revealing clothing never justifies such acts.

“I have been personally affected by this, and I would say a great number of my friends have,” Roberts said. “So, I want to talk about it.”

RELATED: Students march for Take Back the Night at Pentacrest to call for end to sexual violence

After the march, attendees returned to the Pentacrest to hear from a few speakers, including Alta Medea, the director of community engagement for DVIP and RVAP. Medea said resources for student victim-survivors of sexual violence remain available, with DVIP and RVAP advocates holding regular open hours at WRAC and 24/7 support hotlines accessible at any time.

“Beyond letting people know about our services, letting victim-survivors know that they are believed is super impactful,” Medea said to the crowd, thanking them for attending the event.

Nina Morrison, a WRAC volunteer, also spoke, emphasizing that sexual violence toward transgender and nonbinary people often goes unreported at higher rates than cisgender victims.

According to a 2023 study published in LGBT Health, nearly half of transgender or nonbinary individuals will experience sexual assault in their lifetime, and only 6 percent reported their sexual assault to police.

“It’s easy to see why the slogan of Take Back the Night is shatter the silence,” Morrison said.

Morrison also discussed a program she created in 2023 called Night Slice. Developed in partnership with WRAC and RVAP, before RVAP merged with DVIP, the program offers free pizza to UI students on Fridays and Saturdays between midnight and 2 a.m.

She described the initiative as a preventative measure, responding to the high rates of sexual violence that occur when victims are intoxicated to the point of incapacitation. Morrison said more than 1,800 students were served through Night Slice last semester.

“We decided to offer a yummy, free alternative to the bars downtown,” Morrison said.

After the speakers, the mic was open for attendees to share their own experience of sexual violence for the purpose of healing and empowerment. This portion of the event was private.