Dancers unite for mass action

People from across Preston were invited to stand in solidarity and demand an end to violence against women at a special event in the city this week.
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On Wednesday The University of Central Lancashire hosted its annual One Billion Rising for Justice (VDay) event as part of a global campaign to end violence against women and girls around the world.

The campus’s Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre threw open its doors form an hour and invited visitors to dance together.

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Instructor and World Salsa Dance champion Phil Kaila and Salsa Northwest led the dance accompanied by music.

Preston Mayor Coun Brian Rollo gets invovled in the dancingPreston Mayor Coun Brian Rollo gets invovled in the dancing
Preston Mayor Coun Brian Rollo gets invovled in the dancing

The worldwide event takes place on the same day every year in hundreds of countries. It calls for people to gather safely outside places where women are entitled to justice such as police stations, government offices, places of worship, education or simply in public places where women deserve to feel safe.

This year’s One Billion Rising for Justice campaign focuses on solidarity, calling for people to rise, resist and unite to protest not only again violence towards women and girls but also to address wider issues such as worker exploitation, poverty, racism, refugee rights and transphobia. The event also highlights the fact that one in three women will be beaten or raped in their lifetime - this adds up to more than one billion women and girls.

Nigel Farnsworth, UCLan Creative Communities Group manager organised the event. He said: “This is the sixth year that the CCG has organised a One Billon Rising event, which allows the local community to join in a global gathering and make their voices heard. It is the biggest mass action in human history and we are proud to play a part and show the world that Preston stands against violence towards women and girls.”

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