Thousands gather across Quebec to denounce rape culture

Hundreds of protesters gathered Wednesday evening in Montreal, Quebec City, Saguenay, Sherbrooke and Gatineau to denounce rape culture.

The marches follow a series of break-ins and alleged sexual assaults at Laval University and accusations of sexual assault against MNA Gerry Sklavounos.

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In Montreal, a march at Place Émilie-Gamelin ended with a concert at Club Soda. People then took to the streets again to march.

The Quebec City demonstration was held at Place de l'Université-du-Québec, where hundreds gathered.

One of the women to attend the rally was Alice Paquet, the women who accused former Liberal MNA Gerry Sklavounos of sexual assault.

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"It's important to be there for the survivors. Rape culture is everywhere and we cannot ignore it. If we are all here tonight, it's to cry out loudly that it exists and we have to fight it," Paquet said as the march was getting underway.

"In this story, there is not only me. There are so many women who are assaulted…Talk about it with someone."

Marjorie Champagne, one of the organizers of the Quebec City march, told Radio-Canada that the gathering was "necessary."

"We have experienced events over the last few weeks and over the last few years, that reveal a culture where rape is very present. Blaming the victims instead of the perpetrator," she said.

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Sue Montgomery, one of the organizers of the Montreal rally who founded the hashtag "Been Raped Never Reported", said more resources are required to help support victims.

"My main argument to have all those resources is that this is an epidemic in our society and it costs us all kinds of money. It costs us in terms of depression, medication, lost time at work, lost time at school, dropouts, illnesses. I dare say that if one in three men was being sexually assaulted, we would have had action long ago," Montgomery said.

The concept of rape culture emerged in the 1970s in the United States. It was used by feminists to describe a phenomenon of blaming victims of sexual assault and normalizing sexual violence.