THOUSANDS of women took to the streets of central London on Saturday for the 19th annual Million Women Rise march against violence against women and girls. 

The march, organised by the Black and Global Majority collective, took place ahead of International Women’s Day (IWD).

Women gathered at noon in Duke Street before heading to the rally at Trafalgar Square, chanting: “Say it once, say it again, no excuse for violent men” as they marched. 

A group of African drummers and a marching band were among the demonstrators. 

Before speeches began, there was a moment of silence as organisers read out the names of women killed by men in Britain in the past year.

According to the National Police Chief’s Council, violence against women and girls makes up just under 20 per cent of all recorded crime in England and Wales.

The number of police-recorded rape and sexual assault offences meanwhile have increased 264 per cent between 2009 and 2024, according to the National Audit Office. 

In the year ending March 2023, over 1.2 million women between the ages of 16 and 59 are estimated to have been victims of domestic abuse.

Rimaz Ahmed of Women Against the Far Right, which had a large bloc at the protest, highlighted the issue of the use of feminist language by far-right campaigners, telling the crowd: “They do not care about women.

“They don’t care when refugee women are forced onto dangerous journeys because borders are closed to them. 

“They don’t care when migrant women are exploited in low-paid work that keeps our economy running.

“Their politics was never about women’s liberation. It is about protecting a system that profits from division, exploitation and inequality.”

Ms Ahmed said that IWD was not “only a celebration,” but also “a reminder that if we don’t continue to fight for our rights, then the far right and racist and sexist political parties will roll them back.”

Closing the rally, a Million Women Rise organiser said: “We come together to rise for girls and women whose voices are being silenced, who are surviving in the shadows, who feel alone, are isolated and afraid. 

“You are not alone. We are here and we move with and for you.

“As long as this violence persists, we will rise, we will resist. When we come together, we are unstoppable.”

Other IWD events took place across Britain over the weekend.