As part of the 16 days of Activism to end Gender Based Violence join us to hear from a range of speakers, then march with us through the city centre to reclaim public space for all.

On Saturday 29 November 2025 join us in Writers Square, gather from 5pm for speeches at 5:30pm.

The route takes us through the city centre, it also takes in some symbolic land marks.

Before the march, we gather at Writers Square, close to UUB or the Art College. NUS research found that one in three women students felt unsafe visiting their college and university. We are pleased to have had a representative of the Student Union Movement to speak at each Reclaim the Night.

The march starts in what has been dubbed the ‘Queer Quarter’ of Belfast. Earlier in November is the Transgender Day of Remembrance, remembering trans people who have been killed because of transphobia. One of our speakers each year has been a representative of a Trans Rights and Advocacy group.

The march moves past City Hall, a symbol of our political system. A political system that is lagging behind when it comes to legislation relating to stalking and domestic violence. We also take in the offices of the Public Prosecution Service, the Courts, and a PSNI station. This was deliberate as these buildings are symbols of a system which contributes to the low reporting and conviction rates in relation to sexual violence.

The march finishes by the Albert Clock, an area once associated with sex work. Our current legislation, which criminalises the purchase of sex, makes sex workers less safe. A representative of self organised sex workers has spoken at or provided a speech for each Reclaim the Night Belfast.

Our route for the march is just over a mile long. If you do not feel up to marching the whole route, you are welcome to join us for the speakers in Writers Square or to leave the march at anytime. Please exit the march onto the footpath for your safety.

We will be walking along the road, this is mostly flat however it is uneven in places. It should be suitable for those using wheelchairs and prams. There are dropped kerbs around the start and end points of the march.

There will be drumming and chanting along the route which may be loud. The samba band will be near the front of the march, and will probably be the loudest section.

Please dress suitably for the weather!

Emily Roberts, UUSU PResident

'Reclaim the Night is more than a march, it’s a powerful movement of solidarity that has shaped my passion for women’s empowerment and inspired me to keep advocating for safer, more inclusive communities'

Becca Waterson, survivor-advocate and historian, creator of Becca Does Things

‘Reclaim the Night matters to me because I survived domestic abuse as an adult and lived through it as a child. I know how deeply it shapes a life, and how often women’s experiences are minimised or erased. As a historian of hidden harm and a survivor, I walk to make our stories visible, to refuse silence or shame, and to demand a world where every woman and every survivor can move freely, safely and without fear.’

Mál Farrell, Trans Pride NI

‘Reclaim the Night is important because for too long we have seen members of our community feel unsafe walking down the street, afraid to walk home at night in the dark and having to take longer routes to have more street lights. We’ve seen women, young girls, BAME, members of the LGBTQIA+ community and those with disabilities be subjected to verbal harassment, being chased, and so for me, walking in Reclaim the Night is a chance to walk the streets and stand in solidarity to those who can’t walk with us.’

Rita Aburahma, Human Rights Activist

‘Reclaim the Night matters to me because women’s voices, including those of Palestinian women in Gaza, are being silenced in the very moment they need the world to hear them most. Gender-based violence in conflict is often dismissed as ‘secondary’ to the bigger picture, yet women bear some of the deepest wounds. By speaking here, I’m standing for every woman whose suffering is overlooked, and reclaiming space for stories the world keeps trying not to see.’

Catriona O'Brien, Red Umbrella Éireann.

"It is important for us in Red Umbrella Éireann, that sex workers get to participate in Reclaim the Night. In the North, we are ten years into client criminalisation. There has been 92% increase of violence against sex workers on the island, since the introduction of this law. 

We are never included in conversations about violence against women. Our voices excluded from policy making about our work, even though, we are the experts. We know what laws will keep us safe.’