The petition currently has over 1,700 signatures on Change.org.
Credit: geograph.org.uk
Deputy Editor
University of Glasgow students have launched a petition calling for Glasgow City Council to install CCTV and improved lighting on the West End’s Kelvin Way.
Kelvin Way is the main thoroughfare between Finnieston, a popular student area home to university halls of residence, and Glasgow University. The street’s lack of CCTV and poor lighting has led to fears for students’, and women’s, safety.
The petition, “light up Kelvin Way”, comes after a 20-year-old woman was attacked on the walkway earlier this year.
The petition’s organisers wrote on online activism website change.com: “The addition of CCTV cameras, we feel would not only help make the street safer as students walk home at night from the Unions but also help in finding the suspects of any daylight crimes.”
The Glasgow Guardian spoke to Glasgow University Feminist Society about the petition, a spokesperson said: “GU FemSoc are particularly pleased to observe a high response rate [to the petition]. For us, this is a positive indication that a significant number of Glasgow University students and beyond are concerned by incidents of violence that have already occurred, and the potential for these to happen again, should appropriate measures not be introduced.
“Should this particular petition not result in direct action, we are confident that it will at least provide the council and the University with incentive to make safer streets an immediate concern.
“As Kelvin Way provides the most convenient walk way between Glasgow University and Finnieston – an area inhabited by many students – we believe female students in particular are at risk of violence, both sexual and otherwise.
“We give our wholehearted support to any effort which calls for a means to both prevent and bring perpetrators of violence to justice – we sincerely hope that the petition is afforded the urgency it deserves”
In an online update dated November 19, organisers wrote: “So far we have received support from local MPs, local councillor Martha Wardrop and head of security at Glasgow University.
“I would like to thank everyone for their continued support. Change is happening.”
