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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

542 replies

Spending2muchtimeonMN · 22/04/2018 00:38

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

OP posts:
yetanothertranswoman · 23/04/2018 12:14

They should be there to prevent a breach of the peace.

The protestors should have been moved as their actions were going to potentially lead to a breach of the peace.

What happened afterwards? I would have assumed that Julie Bindell would have known her rights and the law and would have spoken to the police.

AngryAttackKittens · 23/04/2018 12:15

Have any of the organizers spoken to them? You'd think that "why did you allow people in masks to block entry to our event?" would be a fair question to ask given that there were police on site while it was happening.

AngryAttackKittens · 23/04/2018 12:17

Especially given that they were on the stairs they should have been moved. That's an accident waiting to happen. Also are there not fire regulations that should be enforced? If anyone had needed to get out in a hurry the fact that there were protestors blocking the stairs would have been an issue.

YetAnotherSpartacus · 23/04/2018 12:19

Is it worth someone who was there contacting the police to ask for an explanation? I mean a bit 'higher up' than the attending officers.

BertrandRussell · 23/04/2018 12:20

“Apparently they told someone at the site that they didn't want to take sides. Which if true is ridiculous. What the meeting is about should have no bearing on whether or not it's allowed to happen.”

Yes, I heard that too- but it can’t be true, surely?

yetanothertranswoman · 23/04/2018 12:22

I am surprised that a prominent journalist like Julie Bindell would have let the police get away with that explanation.

I wonder if the protesters or the police knew who she was and the influence she has?

AngryAttackKittens · 23/04/2018 12:24

You'd hope not. Can you remember who said it? Maybe it would be possible to follow up with them and get more information.

Definitely one of the organizers needs to follow up not with the police who were there but with their superiors. Would there be a police press officer? Embarrassing this particular department might encourage others to do their jobs at the next meeting.

MimpiDreams · 23/04/2018 12:26

Maybe someone who was there could ask the police why they sat there and did nothing while their human rights were being breached. Article 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights are about freedom of assembly, the individual right or ability of people to come together and collectively express, promote, pursue, and defend their ideas.

These protestors were infringing on that.

BertrandRussell · 23/04/2018 12:29

Maybe someone could ask JB on Twitter?

Rufustheconstantreindeer · 23/04/2018 12:32

I should point out that i dont think the police not doing anything is some sort of conspiracy

I just think they couldn't be arsed

YetAnotherSpartacus · 23/04/2018 12:39

I just think they couldn't be arsed

Clearly remember calling them once when a male neighbour was threatening me. After suggesting ways I could placate him they said 'give us a call when he actually punches you'.

Beachcomber · 23/04/2018 12:43

I think Julie Bindel was right on the money actually with her "posh boy" comment.

A lot of the justifying of trans trampling all over women's rights is about how oppressed the poor TIMs are and how "cis" women should "check their privilege".

We all know that young white educated middle class males are one of the most privileged groups in society. The posh boy comment highlights that IMO. Julie Bindel has done a lot of work with street prostitutes - seeing these posh white men think they know anything at all about gender oppression must make her feel utter contempt for them.

It doesn't make them any less thuggish or threatening though.

OlennasWimple · 23/04/2018 13:26

JB repeatedly said to the protesters on the stairs that she is an accredited journalist, but they didn't know what that actually meant they ignored her

I wonder if the police knew the situation on the stairs was happening, or if they were focused on the protest happening outside the venue? There don't seem to be many police there, from the various videos and photos I've seen, so I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't have the capacity to keep an eye on outside and go in to resolve the situation inside too

PigeonStreet1 · 23/04/2018 13:27

I should point out that i dont think the police not doing anything is some sort of conspiracy I just think they couldn't be arsed

More likely that there were not enough of them to do anything about it and it was essentially an argument between 2 different groups. I doubt very much that the local force would have thought to put a PSU out for such an event

Juells · 23/04/2018 13:32

it was essentially an argument between 2 different groups.

Well, that's certainly one way of looking at it. A cock-eyed way 🤣

ReanimatedSGB · 23/04/2018 13:44

I can see it seeming that way to the police, though. Even though one group have at least some form for violent assaults on the other. To the large numbers of people who are not really involved in either academia or activism (or whose concerns are more with other issues such as benefit sanctions/Syria/Brexit/climate change etc) I think the whole business of the GRA and trans activism is still a bit of a silly irrelevance.

The police probably still regard these meetings and the opposition to them as something akin to the disputes between the Judean Popular Front and the People's Front of Judea.

PigeonStreet1 · 23/04/2018 13:52

The police probably still regard these meetings and the opposition to them as something akin to the disputes between the Judean Popular Front and the People's Front of Judea

GrinGrin

YetAnotherSpartacus · 23/04/2018 14:20

it was essentially an argument between 2 different groups

One of whom was comprised largely of aggressive males, the other of women.

BertrandRussell · 23/04/2018 15:04

"it was essentially an argument between 2 different groups"

No it wasn't. It was an organised group trying to prevent people attending a perfectly legal meeting. Which is unlawful. Or illegal-can't remember which. And the police certainly should have stepped in.

PigeonStreet1 · 23/04/2018 15:49

And the police certainly should have stepped in

Well I'm sure if they were aware there was going to be a counter protest they would possibly tried to resource it better. Apparently there were 2 cars there. From the video I can't see them, they were probably dealing with the protesters outside. What do you expect? There's no violence just a bunch of the middle-class ranting at each other

CadyHeron · 23/04/2018 15:54

There's no violence just a bunch of the middle-class ranting at each other

You missed out the bit where they're trying to physically stop women from attending a perfectly legal meeting too.
Talk about downplaying and minimising. Hmm

PigeonStreet1 · 23/04/2018 16:00

You missed out the bit where they're trying to physically stop women from attending a perfectly legal meeting too. Talk about downplaying and minimising

It doesn't need minimising, it achieves that by itself. The UAF do this to the EDL, BNP etc up and down the country every week. The only difference this time is it was the left v the left. Unlike those meetings, There was no violence, and I'd imagine there was plenty of other things on the go where the police had to be instead.

PencilsInSpace · 23/04/2018 16:01

What do you expect?

I would have expected the police to keep the entrances and stairways clear so that speakers and attendees could safely access the venue and attend a perfectly legal meeting.

It wasn't a 'counter protest' because the women were not there for a protest they were there for a meeting.

StealthPolarBear · 23/04/2018 16:06

I do wonder what would have happened if she had tried to push past.

PigeonStreet1 · 23/04/2018 16:09

I would have expected the police to keep the entrances and stairways clear so that speakers and attendees could safely access the venue and attend a perfectly legal meeting

As are the meetings between the BNP etc etc. Where do you think these extra officers should have come From?

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