Just days after thousands of students at Western University walked out of class in protest of what they call a “culture of misogyny” on campus, Fanshawe held a similar rally on a smaller scale in London, Ont.
The Take Back Our Campus rally at Fanshawe College Monday afternoon saw around 70 students and faculty join together at the Merlin Field at Fanshawe’s east London campus in light of “threats of sexual violence” made online last week.
The event was organized in collaboration between the college, its sexual violence prevention team and the Fanshawe Student Union (FSU).
“It was important for us to come together as a community and show our support for survivors, and also allow people to know sexual violence won’t be tolerated here and we will call it for what it is,” said Leah Marshall, Fanshawe’s sexual violence prevention advisor.
“One of the biggest defences against sexual violence is believing and standing up against it.”
Last week, Fanshawe said it was working with its campus security and London police to investigate “sexually violent and threatening posts” made online.
The college says the posts were first made on Discord, a service where users can share text as well as audio or visual communications in private chats or in groups called servers.
FSU president Ricardo Souza told Global News that the student union and the college are “aware of a social media post with threats to potentially tamper with student drinks” at The Out Back Shack and Oasis, a pair of FSU-operated restaurants on Fanshawe’s campus.
Fanshawe said last week that the posts and the users have been removed and investigators are working to identify them.
First-year students Global spoke to supported the college’s response so far but still expressed fear from the threats.
“I was happy to see Fanshawe posting and not trying to cover it up, but that makes me nervous just to be here. It makes me feel really unsafe to live my campus,” said Elle Burns.
“We find out about something new happening all the time — new threats and violence, and it’s getting tiring to be scared where I go to school and live.”
Jessamine Manuel, who is starting her third year at Fanshawe, says she does not understand why someone would try to create fear online.
“We come here every day to better ourselves. We should be coming here to make friends and make new relationships,” Manuel said.
The rally began with sign-making at 4 p.m., followed by a series of speakers at 5 p.m. and a march around campus afterwards.
Souza said he is pleased with the school’s fast response to the online threats, increasing security and immediately calling the police.
Looking at how to address sexual and gender-based violence on campus, Souza said it’s a conversation that needs to include everyone.
“Sometimes I know some men step back in these sexual discussions, but it’s important. This is a topic for everyone and we should be aware and educate ourselves,” Souza said.
“We have to be involved in helping the community grow and thrive without these threats.”
— with files from Global News’ Jacquelyn Lebel.
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