LWS Edinburgh 6th April 2024

Council workers out this morning to get the TRA's spray paint off the plinth at the Mound. Will Police Scotland use any of the security cameras mounted on either of the Gallery buildings to catch the vandals? Doubt it.

https://x.com/StandingforXX/status/1776911058424238224

one trick I use when it seems like someone is talking bollocks is to hear how they describe their enemies-the description usually fits what they do and say to a tee (try this with Hitler talking about the Jews-everything he ascribes to them, is him). I really wonder how these nutters will ever get back to planet earth.

Ach that was a nicely numbered list but it's buggered the formatting and deleted half of it!

It is mystifying. I think they think they are being very brave, and boldly advocating for civil rights.

The trouble is 1. their 'civil rights' movement is about the subjugation and coercion of women. So they look like aggressive advocates for rape culture.

1. They are often large, masked men, aggressively heckling and barracking women talking about trauma, lesbianism, and their personal struggles.

1. They are also privileged, and to most passing observers it looks like a raggle taggle bunch of thugs, posh kids, and losers spraying graffiti, holding gross and obscene signs, and making prats of themselves while adults talk about legal rights and policy.

This is what echo chambers do to you - they make you think you're fighting the good fight when actually you're dressed up as a sex nun and ranting about girl dick. In public.

Re the carrier of the sign which, according to The Telegraph, suggested that 'lesbians are attracted to the male genitalia of transgender people', I was particularly taken by the fact that he was wearing his signet ring. His parents/grandparents will be so proud when they read their paper.

I was amused by the Telegraph's paraphrase of these signs:

"Another sign suggested that lesbians are attracted to the male genitalia of transgender people, and another that they are attracted to transgender breasts."

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/04/06/feminists-clash-pro-trans-activists-anti-hate-speech-march/

And the GoodAfternoon one. The threads they avoid tells you all you need to know about them.

Yes. I would appreciate somebody like DadJoke or Mishy helping me to put this all into perspective.

Yes!

Yah Riks.

Where are our usual apologists for all things Gender Ideology, who throw the guilt by association at us but wear blinkers when it comes to the GI side, those who claim GI is not homophobic or misogynistic? Their silence, as ever when their side show their true colours, is deafening.

Most of the TRAs seemed to be posh male students. My partner had fascist screamed at him when he tried to engage with them, which was nice. I feel really angry about the TRA behaviour today, disgusting Lesphobia from a bunch of over privileged idiots.

Thanks, it does. Although the definition of terfs has baffled me!

'One sign read “trans dogs bite terfs”. The term “terfs” is used by transgender campaigners to describe women who oppose the view that gender is unfixed and can change according to how people self-identify.
Another sign suggested that lesbians are attracted to the male genitalia of transgender people, and another that they are attracted to transgender breasts.'

@lonelywater

I certainly think most would meet the threshold for a personality disorder.

From what I've seen, as well as being horrendously homophobic, the TRA's signs were (as usual) horrendous on the eyes too. Scrawled nonsense on a bit of dirty cardboard, as usual.

As as usual, women's signs were beautifully painted/embroidered or set out.

The more I see of these TRA's the more convinced I become that they are simply genuinely bonkers. If you actually believed you were a marginal group would you think "I know, to garner to maximum support for our position lets dress up like paramilitaries, carry placards with obscenities and shout abuse at people (with a side order of banging cymbals at police horses)". I dont think these people are channelling Martin Luther King somehow.

https://twitter.com/moleatthedoor/status/1776664698139611212?s=19

Mole has redone the sign

Most of the article seems quite positive coverage and has comments on the police

Commentator Susan Dalgety wrote: "Reflecting on today’s #LetWomenSpeak rally at the Mound. The organisers had liaised with @PoliceScotland beforehand to ensure it was a safe event, but on the day the policing failed. Counter-protesters - many of them young men - were allowed to surround women on all sides - effectively kettling them. It was intimidating behaviour and a failure by the police to properly manage the event."

The Scottish Feminist Network said: "The Hate Monsters and placards are lovely but, in reality, women have been penned, surrounded on 3 sides by screaming masked thugs. @PoliceScotland are keeping us safe but we are experiencing an onslaught of noise & abuse."

https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/scottish-news/women-speak-edinburgh-event-marred-32527096

I couldn't go today - well done to everyone who did. It sounds like it was quite scary and Police Scotland seem to have done a poor job so I'm in awe of the brave women who attended and/or spoke

Hope this link works
Feminists clash with pro-trans activists on march against anti-hate speech law (msn.com)

The Telegraph have already written an article about this and highlighted the fact that the TRAs had blatantly homophobic signs.

It's all bringing fantastic sunlight to the tactics of TRAs, so well done to every woman who was there!

Very well put.
I agree.

re the police and their "safety" measures.

Hasn't that become a pattern, hemming in the LWS event so everything feels almost kettled, but also making it really hard to get into the meeting space.

Wasn't there a problem like this is Liverpool?

I tried on my phone but the YouTube feed was several seconds behind the speakers so you'd need headphones.

Maybe that's why they dont suggest it any more ...

Its quite an undertaking (even before the TRAs turn up) to get to these different cities, with equipment and set it all up.

Maybe that other well know woman who also goes by 3 letters could donate the money for some astonishing loud speaker system, so not only could all attending hear, but blast out the silly rainbow ditties.

I was a bit anxious walking there and met a couple of women coming back not wanting to go near the TRAs and hoping to cut through by Princes Gardens but the police had closed the gardens. We walked together and initially headed to the wrong area as it wasn't clear how we got to the LWS area. It was like navigating an obstacle course. I left a bit early partly because I thought it had finished and partly to avoid any trouble from TRAs. Maybe we should feel flattered they think we're worth giving up a rare sunny Saturday for. I certainly wouldn't have gone in to Edinburgh today (or any other day) to protest at an event when they were all speaking. I suspect most of us have busier lives than they do.