A group of several dozen people donning purple hats and scarves led a demonstration against domestic violence in Montreal on Sunday.
Women, men and children attended the march, which travelled along Ste-Catherine Street.
The event was organized by Nadia Wiseman and Tanya D’Amato, founding members of Single MOMtreal, an online group that provides resources for single mothers in the city.
READ MORE: Single Momtreal: An online resource for single mothers across Montreal
“This march can’t heal victims, friends and family members of victims completely,” Wiseman said.
“But if it can make a little difference, even one per cent of healing, to make them feel understood and supported.”
The march aims to raise awareness about an issue that affects thousands of women, Wiseman said.
Cheryl Besner, a participant in the march, admits the number of people in attendance was lower than she hoped, but it was still encouraging.
“It’s time for people to band together to get rid of domestic violence,” Besner said.
According to Statistics Canada, 79 per cent of police-reported intimate partner violence is against women.
In 2011, there were approximately 97,500 victims of intimate partner violence.
The march, coincidentally, took place the day before the one-year anniversary of the current #MeToo movement, which first rose to prominence in October of last year.