MEN AND WOMEN took to the streets today for Ireland’s first ever SlutWalk, in protest against the treatment of rape victims.

The protest took place in Galway, with around 100 people dressing up to highlight social attitudes to sexual assault.

It follows similar events earlier this year in cities across the world – sparked by an incident in Toronto where a police officer said women should avoid being raped by not dressing like “sluts”. Since then, the protests have seen crowds turn out dressed in their most provocative clothing to criticise this mindset.

The protest in Galway City Centre was organised by the NUI Galway Student Union, as well as the Rape Crisis Network Ireland. NUIG Equality Officer William O’Brien said the aim was to “challenge society’s perception of victims of sexual assault, and how we treat them”. He added:

We were delighted with the turnout considering the horrible weather we had this morning. There was a lot of attention from people in the town, a lot of whistling and a lot of support.

Fiona Neary, director of the Rape Crisis Network said dressing provocatively was an integral part of the protest’s message. “The message is, dressing like this does not invite disrespect, and it does not invite anyone to behave in a criminal way towards me,” she said.

Gallery: Ireland’s SlutWalk – and others around the world