Rally planned to protest verdict in Jian Ghomeshi trial

A group of people are gathering at the Ottawa courthouse Friday night to protest the verdict in the Jian Ghomeshi trial.

An Ontario Court of Justice judge acquitted former CBC Radio host Jian Ghomeshi on four counts of sexual assault and one count of choking on Thursday, saying there were significant issues raised about the credibility of the complainants.

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Participants in the protest will meet at the courthouse on Elgin Street at 6:30 p.m. before marching to Parliament Hill.

A statement on the event's Facebook page says the goal is to show support for survivors of sexual assault.

'Wider dialogue' needed

Rose Ekins, a master's student at Carleton University who plans to takepart in the rally, saidshe was raped by a man she was dating.

She told CBC News shewants to see anend to the practice of blaming the victim.

"Ghomeshi's lawyer would have torn me apart for my decisions too, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen. That doesn't mean I wasn't raped," Ekins said.

"I'd really like there to be a wider dialogue of how victim blaming feeds into rape culture and how we need to be more aware of this and make some changes."

The protest is organized by several community groups, including the Youth Services Bureau, the Ottawa Coalition to End Violence Against Women and the Sexual Assault Network.