On Jan. 28, when students walked by the Carnegie Green at approximately 12:30 p.m., they saw a crowd of students gathered around a teal ribbon sprawled on the grass, stone-faced students holding signs and some of them with their mouths taped shut. This gathering was organized by the Collegiate Council to stand with survivors of gender violence and call for action.
As the hour carried on, the mass of students, staff, survivors and other community members accumulated into a sea of ribbon-wearing supporters standing in complete and utter silence. Cameras from local media outlets interlaced their way through the crowds, but no words were exchanged as the crowd stood unwavering in their unanimity.
In response to the anonymous confessions made on the @wecandubetter Instagram account, the protest was a grand culmination of the rising tension over safety on campus for students and DU’s lackluster efforts to prevent sexual assault. The @wecandubetter Instagram account also garnered attention citywide from major press outlets, including the Denver Post.
At the protest itself, members of the DU community wore teal ribbons and pins reading “I Heart Consent,” and carried a variety of signs that not only symbolized an alliance between survivors and supporters but also called for direct action from the administration at DU.
“I think that it’s been something that’s been needed at DU for a long time, but with the recent explosion of the Instagram page and the really big dialogue around gender violence on our campus, people want to know that they’re not alone,” says Shannon Saul, a fourth-year at DU, the president of the Collegiate Council and one of the main organizers of the protest.
In addition to talking about the protest itself, Saul commented on why the movement concerning gender violence needed to go beyond social media.
“The social media page allowed people to open up, and there was an ability to show up in person. People want to know that they’re not alone and there are people who stand with them in person as well,” said Saul. In addition, Saul commented about her desire for the movement concerning survivors and gender violence prevention continues in strength.
After the first hour in complete silence, the protest shifted into one encouraging spoken dialogue between those remaining. Saul had everyone surround the teal ribbon in a semicircle, where survivors and supporters alike were encouraged to share their thoughts, emotions and concerns. This even included commentary and addressing of concerns from Chancellor Jeremy Haefner.
In a speech addressing the crowd, Chancellor Haefner stated that what he sent in the emails to students was “just the beginning,” and that “details are being put together,” for incorporating the requests of the @wecandubetter account and students present. In a post on his Instagram from Jan. 28, Haefner thanked students for sharing their perspective and insight into their opinions on solutions and reinforced the idea that “There is much more work to do.”
