Demonstrators gathered in Perry Square for a “We Are Jane Doe” protest, standing in solidarity with a survivor at the center of an alleged sexual assault case involving Cornell University and calling for greater awareness of sexual violence.
The Erie protest comes as students and faculty at Cornell have held their own demonstrations over the university administration’s handling of the case.
For organizer Misha Krastins, the protest is also personal. Krastins says reflecting on her own experiences with sexual violence and the shame that kept her from speaking out helped inspire her to organize.
“It was upon reflection of how many times in my life I’ve been Jane Doe and said nothing because I was shamed. I said nothing because in my head, I made it my own fault, and that needs to end if we expect change,” Krastins said.
Officials with the Crime Victim Center of Erie County say bringing survivors together can help them feel less alone while creating opportunities to speak out and advocate for change.
“It is really important for folks to get together to know that they aren’t alone if they’ve experienced something that’s happening and to really speak out about the issues that have come up,” said Amy Blackman, executive director of the Crime Victim Center of Erie County.
Blackman said collective action can also help bring about broader changes.
“It’s also important as they’re getting together to also remember as a collective, we have the ability to help change policy and to help change the reactions and responses,” Blackman said.
The protests at Cornell have also drawn attention to how colleges respond to reports of sexual violence. Blackman said universities must address reports through their Title IX and sexual misconduct policies.
“College campuses have to react and respond to reports of sexual violence through their Title IX and sexual misconduct policies,” Blackman said. “If those policies are in place and procedures are being followed correctly, incidents are investigated and are looked at.”
Organizers say the goal of the Erie protest is to raise awareness about sexual violence and encourage conversations about how these cases are handled.
Krastins said recognizing that a problem exists is an important first step toward change.
“I love the fact that the community recognizes there is a problem because the first step to changing anything is recognizing we’ve got a problem,” Krastins said.