In a show of unity and defiance, Miami Beach's skate community took to the Beachwalk this Saturday past. The event, dubbed "Take Back the Boardwalk," was organized in solidarity with a woman who was sexually assaulted there while rollerblading. The gathering sought not just to support the recent victim but to stand with all who have been subjected to such violence, as reported by CBS Miami.
Skaters, many of whom recognize the assaulted woman's vulnerability as their own, are pushing for improvements to ensure such incidents are not repeated. Messages in chalk marked the site of the recent crime, a visual testament to the community's resolve. "That could've been me. That could've been one of my friends. So what can we do to do better? To take care of ourselves better and take care of each other better," skater Shari Kline told CBS Miami.
The attack occurred in the early hours of July 16, when at around 1 a.m., an assailant grabbed the victim from behind and dragged her into the dunes off 23rd Street. The suspect, 30-year-old Keithy Hill Jr., was identified and apprehended by Hollywood Police Department days later. Hill, as indicated by NBC Miami, has a previous conviction for sexual abuse on a minor in Illinois, and was on a sex offender registration list there.
"We have every right to be angry, but our responses need to be utilized instead of pacified," said Vik Pagan, echoing a sentiment of action over apprehension. Members of the skate community articulated the need for tangible safety enhancements along the Beachwalk. "Even just one extra light can make all the difference," Paula Perez, a skater and sexual assault survivor herself declared, according to NBC Miami. She advocates for the boardwalk to be a safe space accessible at any time, echoing the community's call for heightened safety measures.
In moments like these, the skate community in Miami Beach is showing how shared spaces bind individuals into a collective. "We might not know her, we don't know if we know her, but by sharing this hobby and space and commonality -- she's one of us,” Amanda, another skater, told NBC Miami. Through solidarity skates and rallying cries for change, they are reclaiming their right to freedom and safety in the places they love.
