More than 100 women took to the streets of Kerrisdale yesterday in defiance of a man prowling their neighbourhood.

Vancouver police report three assaults on women near the West Boulevard corridor in the last six months, and the strong message yesterday was that the assaults will not keep women in their homes.

“Let’s take to the streets to show him and others like him that we won’t hide,” said Tamara Gorin of Vacouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter. “We will expose him, and he won’t get away with it.”Kerrisdale resident Sheila Jarvis told the crowd. “We can keep each other safe.

“We’re tired of being careful and watching our backs.”

The rally began with a self-defence lesson, then an appeal to fight back against the would-be rapist.

“What is extraordinary about these attacks is that these women fought back,”

Vancouver police Det. Scott Driemel said that during the third attack the man pushed his victim to the ground.

“We believe he is escalating, and that’s why we’re getting the word out,” said Driemel. “We have three detectives working on the case.

“Our investigators are out canvassing the neighbourhood, and they’re at the high schools to get the message out.”

The suspect is described as a male, possibly Asian, in his early 20s, with an athletic build.

Originally published in The Province