'NO MEANS NEIN!': New Oktoberfest campaign shines light on uninvited sexual encounters

Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest is doing its part to protect partygoers from unwanted sexual behavior on festival grounds.

As part of its newly-introduced “NO MEANS NEIN!” campaign, an online portal was added to the KW Oktoberfest website allowing victims to report uninvited sexual encounters. The initiative is also part of a partnership with the REES Community platform.

“[These instances] can range from harassment, catcalling that might occur on the street, to things like a sexual assault,” REES Community founder Mary Lobson told CTV News.

The service is fully anonymous. Victims have the option of providing as much information as they’re comfortable with, describing where, when and what happened.

All of the reports go back to festival staff.

“It will give us good information so that we can use that in our strategies moving forward to help keep the festival even safer than it already has been,” explained Tracy Van Kalsbeek, KW Oktoberfest’s executive director.

Van Kalsbeek doesn’t remember receiving complaints of unwanted sexual behaviour in the past, but its likely incidents have gone unreported in the past. She adds that any information given to festival staff can help determine where and when most offences occur and, hopefully, prevent others from happening.

One of the “NO MEANS NEIN!” campaign images for Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest.

“[Victims] don’t have to identify themselves, but they still let organizers know that an incident occurred,” Lobson said. “For some people that can be really empowering.”

The campaign also provides information for community resources including sexual assault centres, health care and more.

To access the “NO MEANS NEIN!” online portal, scan the QR codes posted throughout festival grounds.