Cancellation of WRN NI event at Féile festival.

Before I read that article I immediately thought of Kneecap. They seem to have a really simplistic, naive understanding of Irish history and don't fully appreciate the emotion attached to certain phrases and how arduous the road to peace in Ireland was. They're like a bunch of kids playing dress up.

I think this injunction was just to get the event reinstated. And yes it's disappointing that the judge didn't rule that it should go ahead because Féile were discriminating against WRN by accepting and then cancelling the event. But I guess now they will proceed with legal action on the basis of belief discrimination? Although seeing how it went with Sara Morrison's case, I feel nervous 🙁

Very different statement from WRN:

https://x.com/i/status/2082413022278987882

https://x.com/search?q=wrn%20ni&src=typed_query&f=top

WRN NI have released their own statement which is completely at odds with Féile's statement!

WRN NI is delighted to have reached an agreement with Féile an Phobail which brings the current legal
proceedings to an end. The Judge congratulated the parties today, saying they both deserved credit for reaching a resolution in
this difficult domain involving emotive issues. Féile has agreed to meet with WRN NI to explore and discuss our potential participation in future Féile
events, and we warmly welcome the opportunity for continued engagement. Our women live, work, volunteer and support their communities across Northern Ireland. Our priority has always been to bring conversations about women's sex-based rights into our festivals, workplaces, homes and communities, and to create spaces where women can come together and discuss the rights that affect their lives. We have done that, and we are immensely grateful for the support we have received over the past week, both publicly and privately. We hope this agreement marks the beginning
of constructive engagement and greater opportunities for women's voices and perspectives to be heard. Our work continues. We look forward to the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (ECNI) Judicial Review later this year, where WRN NI will continue advocating for women's sex-based rights and for the
safety, privacy and dignity of women and girls across Northern Ireland. And importantly, Respect, Rights & Reality will still go ahead on 4 August at an alternative venue. Further
details will follow. We look forward to seeing you there.

The statement from WRN NI seems much more conciliatory than that of Feile

Sorry, cross post!

That's a bit fucking odd.

So it didn’t go to court. Both parties produced statements and WRN withdrew.

Maybe the event is still happening but they've come up with some fudge that it's not technically Faile, like maybe they've been allocated some Faile funding but not the brand?

On bbc now. WRN are planning to hold the talk somewhere else in the city but just not at Feile. Hope I can get a ticket!

They are a bunch of kids playing dress up.

I can understand terms being altered over time- see 'vandal' and 'hun', etc. But generally speaking I'd have thought this was a slower process, and didn't happen while the victims of certain atrocities were still living.

But the festival said it was a High court decision?

I wonder why they withdrew?

AM is already on her high horse

https://x.com/i/status/2082409383200244150

Yes, very puzzling.

WRN's statement looks as if they are putting the best possible spin on still being excluded from An Fhéile, whereas An Fhéile can crow that they've won and are still standing up for the marginalised..
I'm looking forward to seeing what the ruling actually said.

I just listened in to BBC Radio Ulster and it doesn't look like there was a ruling as the court action didn't go ahead. They also sounded a bit puzzled about the conflicting statements.

I suppose it's a case of, pick your battles. Especially after the Sara Morrison decision, maybe? Obviously if the event can go ahead, that's good.

BBC said it didn’t make it into court. Both parties produced a statement which was given to the judge. But there wasn’t a ruling. Will be interesting to see next steps and where the WRN holds the talk. I wonder if they are gearing up for a proper discrimination case, which I heard the other day could take months/ years so not possible before the Feile. Perhaps and I hope they’re playing the long game.

Looks like it is on elsewhere. From X

Róisín Michaux

36m
Confirmed: Women's Rights Network NI have not been allowed to participate in
FeileBelfast due to their position on women being a real definable biological phenomenon. However, the de-programmed women's rights event will indeed take place elsewhere in Belfast on the same day (Tuesday 4 August).

Get in touch, we're going TERFing.

That's the spirit! Don't sugar-coat the exclusion, and hopefully the replacement event will make a big impression.

Thank you for lifting the spirits and rallying the terfs, Róisín

So WRN NI lost, it sounds like they caved in fact, the men win again, very disappointing WRN NI.

'Today's outcome at the High Court' - implying it was a court decision, when in fact it seems that wasn't the case.

Low-down sneaky behaviour, that is.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/sinead-in-no-show-row-over-violence/a/149801110.html

'SINEAD O'Connor has withdrawn from a Belfast festival claiming the organisers told her not to speak out against IRA violence. The singer had agreed to perform at the Feile an Phobail, west Belfast's community festival, on August 6.But after claiming she had been asked by the organisers not to mention punishment beatings, in a republican area where hundreds of victims have been shot, she said she was not prepared to go on stage.'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpq8nz5yrrvo

I see Féile an Phobail are linking WRN to attacks on An Fhéile, but also on 'the West Belfast Community' - actually expanding the range of their misinformation/slurs against WRN.

I hope at least some of the women of West Belfast can see this for what it is - supporting women, but only the kind who are acceptable to An Fhéile, not the sex-realist kind who are somehow a threat to 'the West Belfast Community' .
Maybe some of them will even turn out to support the alt.event.

It looks like this is an attempt to portray terfy women as rightwing, anti-Nationalist, and xenophobic as well as anti-trans - like women in the US are force-teamed with the extreme right and Trump - therefore every right-minded person must condemn evil WRN ['supported by JK Rowling' as I saw in one report🙄] and applaud wonderful An Fhéile for standing up for the marginalised and oppressed..

I hope WRN notes that suggestion that they are somehow against 'the West Belfast Community' and gets ahead of it, because it is quite potent.