About 150 people gathered at Johnson Field on Friday to raise awareness for sexual and domestic violence.
The event, called Take Back the Night, included a candlelight vigil in remembrance of the silence associated with abuse.
Event coordinator Molly Maguire-Marshall said she was pleased with the community support.
Attendee C.K. Simpson said the event helped raise awareness for abuse.
"To me, the purpose of this event is to hope that women will someday be able to walk alone on the streets safely without having to be afraid," she said. "We should all be able to do that, and right now we can't."
Maguire-Marshall, president of the Reproductive Justice Coalition, said she began planning for the event in March.
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"Take Back the Night is a place that's free from sexual assault and abuse, a place to take a stand, a place to break the silence of sexual violence," she said.
The Reproductive Justice Coalition is made up of three campus groups: Voices for Planned Parenthood, NARAL Pro-Choice New Mexico and Spiritual Youth for Reproductive Freedom.
"Our organization holds events on campus about advocating protection and prevention to help women on campus find out and learn about resources for birth control and protection," Maguire-Marshall said. "We try to do one event a month, and April's event is 'Take Back the Night.'"
Other organizations represented at the event included Agora Crisis Center, the Women's Resource Center and the New Mexico Rape Crisis Center.
Jeremy Jaramillo, spokesman for Agora, said the center's services are only a part of the support system victims of domestic and sexual violence need for recovery.
"People always call us when they or someone in their family has been a victim of sexual assault or violence," he said. "It's important that people get together to receive that healing sequence of support from everyone."
Charlene Johnson, student coordinator of the Women's Resource Center, said anyone can use the services available for victims of violence.
"We offer immediate crisis counseling to victims, and we have a safe place for them to come where we will protect their safety and confidentiality," she said.
Johnson said the center is working to help keep the campus community safe from violence.
"We're currently doing a survey regarding safety on campus," she said. "It's been going on for three years, and we're interested in making the campus safe for everyone. We want to know what our own strengths and weaknesses are."
