To be shocked that this is happening in Britain in 2018?

[Spending2muchtimeonMN]

Masked men try to prevent women from attending a lawful, public meeting to discuss the impact of proposed changes to the law on women's rights:

www.facebook.com/julie.bindel/videos/pcb.10160135970780316/10160135907955316

The police were outside. I do not think they realized that some of the terrorists had made it in to block the speakers on the stairs in front and behind.
I wonder sometimes how violent is violent enough for people like sentMai. If he had pushed her down the steps would that qualify? A punch to the face? What does it take to qualify as violence by a transgender identified male who calls women's words violence.

"If he had pushed her down the steps would that qualify?"

Yes

"A punch to the face?"

Yes.

What's the purpose of your argumentum ad absurdum?

"terrorists"?!? Get a grip.

"transgender identified male who calls women's words violence"

Have the terrorists been identified?

@ChattyLion , the destruction of books you say, yup, already happening, sadly.
www.feministcurrent.com/2017/02/07/vancouver-womens-library-opens-amid-anti-feminist-backlash/

Sisters Uncut who ought to be called Misters Uncut took credit for the terrorist action.

Sorry @sentMai are you actually saying that if a masked man tried to block your path on a narrow staircase while his mate pushed your hand repeatedly as you tried to go about your lawful business, you WOULDN'T interpret that as violent?

@Pratchett

That's hardly an accurate description of what happened i.e. a straw man.

Do we know the gender of the people on the stairs?

This thread is ridiculous. Whether you are anti-trans / men or whatever, it would do people good to accurately describe events.

I know that a vocal few here enjoy the whole 'women under siege, in-group' but it's getting boring and calling these people on the stairs terrorists shows just how ridiculous this is.

Why is the masked part pertinent? Think about the hoo-ha on the feminist boards about some TERFs having the IP addresses made public.

@bewilderness

Why should they be renamed Misters Uncut? Is there an in-joke I've missed?

www.google.com/amp/s/www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/tense-heavily-policed-protest-held-1479450.amp

Different perspectives are available - lots of Police there, lots of press..

Whether you are anti-trans / men or whatever

Neither. For the record.

I wasn't particularly stirred up by this issue until I saw that video. No-one (male or female) has the legal or moral right to stop another person attending a lawfully held meeting. I must be mad as I am swearing on a Sabbath morning = who the hell did those arseholes of men think they were to behave like that. They can fuck off to fuck off land and then fuck off some more.

sentMai are you saying you really don’t think there’s a problem when people in masks refuse to let you go about your lawful business?

Sentmai obviously has no issue being trapped in enclosed spaces, with people who have forced there way in, wearing masks, calling women cunts, slapping and pushing.

Brave new world, The Handmaiden's Fail.

What the hell was going on? Why weren't the police removing people in masks from a venue where they presumably weren't welcome?

Sisters uncut seem to be a feminist group, why would they want to prevent this meeting

@OhWotIsItThisTime

I do think there's a problem. Exactly the same as masked protesters stopping what they call 'alt-right' groups meeting in the US.

However, @Scotland , I don't think these were violent terrorists. The women with the camera clearly weren't terrorised, they lied on the phone describing the situation and they weren't trapped.

Apparently 'cunt' is fine to use as frequently as possible (see a thread at the top of AIBU) and again, "slapping and pushing" is a misrepresentation of what I see in those videos.

I would call it non-violent protest (because I still wouldn't describe anything I've seen as violence) which is common and frequent.

What are some posters determined to call these masked anonymous protesters 'men'? It shows their real problem with trans people and self ID.

" they lied on the phone describing the situation and they weren't trapped."
How could they get in?

Seems to be men and women there and neither violent nor aggressive.

sentMai Seems to me that the protesters were intimidating and harrassing those women who were attempting to enter the meeting. That's not peaceful protest, it's thuggish behaviour and does their cause more harm than you realise.

sentMai I do not care whether they were male/females or aliens but you still have not explained what moral or legal right they had preventing anyone attending a lawfully held meeting and why did they have to wear masks if they were oh so innocent.

And just for note - you do not know my family or their history so do not make general judgements about posters

A group of masked people preventing entrance to a meeting is absolutely an act of aggression and intimidation.

If this was in fact a peaceful non violent protest then why the need to conceal they're identities? After all they believe they're on the "right" side so being identified shouldn't be a problem?

There is no way anyone can watch that video and not see the violence. The weird gaslighter is talking shite and knows it.

Is there any way the video can reach a wider audience? Papers are always nicking threads off here - well here's a bloody doozy for them. The police need to act as well.

Related but slightly off topic, have just seen that Liz Truss is coming under fire as a TERF after posting a to Twitter in support of Mumsnet allowing free debate on Trans issues.

One of the people condemning her says she is giving support to a group advocating violence towards the trans community.

Now I have seen things get a bit heated on some of these threads but I don't recall violence ever being suggested as a solution and it would be removed if it ever was.

Let's forget the circumstances surrounding this for a moment. If you were a lone woman walking down the road or in a space like this and people were masked and trying to stop you from getting in, it would be intimidating at the very least. I would feel very threatened in this situation and would likely feel quite panicked. How is it OK to make someone feel like that?

I wouldn't quality them as terrorists. I would call them thugs. This is thuggish behaviour and it is not ok to treat people like this - for any reason.

sentMai. All bar one of the masked protestors were men. It was very obvious they were men. Their 'gender' is what ever the hell they wanted it to be ("My pwonowns are THEY, cunt" 😂😂😂) but their biological sex was definitely Male.

They displayed intimidating behaviour (which in itself can be illegal), they used abusing language (again, can be illegal) and they put their hands on the women (and one
Transwoman) who were entering the meeting.

You can downplay it all you want, but we see you.

I feel quite sick watching that, spent too much of my life with men posturing the bodies as a form of intimidation. If a person of larger statue and strength uses that as a barricade then as see that as violence. Women there helping them are equally vile. Protest by all means, but not with intimidation.

@Stealth

Trapped suggests they couldn't get out either. They were blocked. I'm not being pedantic but I think there's a big difference in the two words.

@Fakeplasticflowers

The videos seem to show argument from both sides. I don't support their actions, I just don't like it misrepresented. Would you describe it as violent terrorism?

"does their cause more harm than you realise."

Who knows. The report in the paper someone posted above seems to give a nicely balanced report of the situation and the civil disobedience protest doesn't seem to have harmed their cause.

As with all similar subjects, most don't care and / or are happy to live and let live and then there are extreme or radical views at either end of the spectrum. Often these extremists enjoy being part of a group and 'under seige' or oppressed.

I don't think these protesters have harmed their cause but there are some who certainly do. I think exactly the same about about self-declared TERFs misguidedly thinking they're helping and informing moderate MN'ers when really they're turning most off of the subject.

@flippyfloppyflower

I can only make judgements about people based on what I know. As you called the anonymous protesters "arseholes of men", you clearly do have an opinion or issue with their sex / gender.

Morality - peaceful protest is good and I am pro self-ID and anti any kind of extreme or exclusionary ideology. I don't think morality is part of the debate here.

Legal - isn't trespass a civil matter which requires the property owner to make a complaint? (IANAL)

As for the masks, I'll ask again,

Why is the masked part pertinent? Think about the hoo-ha on the feminist boards about some TERFs having their IP addresses made public.

Ah so they were 'allowed' to leave. Well clearly yes. That was the point. They certainly weren't allowed to attend but is that OK?
And what about the meeting organisers?