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 women with the camera clearly weren't terrorised, they lied on the phone describing the situation and they weren't trapped.

WTAF planet are you on if you think that it is in any way acceptable to physically stop women from meeting up, that blocking the way, a hand push, etc isn't intimidating or seen as violence at all?!
They were blocked from going into the building. Kind of were trapped on the staircase - unless you mean they weren't trapped if they had just done as they were told and gone the "right way" which was back home.

The masks are interesting. I'm not sure that I buy the argument that these individuals are scared of being outed. Why? They don't seem to think they're doing anything illegal, and the public debate in general has been going in their favor for a long time. So what would they be afraid of happening if their faces could be seen?

Maybe they know on some level that what they're doing is wrong and will not be looked upon favorably at a later date, or maybe it's purely about intimidation. Certainly many people with the same views seem to have no concern about attaching their Facebook profile with their real name to those views.

It wasn't just people who were blocking access though. They were men wearing masks blocking and entrance to a meeting were women were speaking, including a trans woman.

There is no need to minimise the seriousness of this behaviour.

YADNBU, disgraceful and cowardly behaviour from a bunch of intellectually challenged men.

They are trying to halt free speech and debate by physically blocking access. Obviously they know this is questionable behaviour because why else would they feel the need to wear masks? This is base intimidation and abusive behaviour.

The police need to get on this and do their job at future meetings. We live in a democracy.

The masks are to add to the narrative that trans people fear for their lives. “See, I can’t even show my face in public” coupled with “See how incredibly brave I’m being”.

@sentMai I see and agree with what ur saying. I think either ppl r reading it and see it as u taking sides (as opposed to being balanced which I think u r) or they're not reading it comments and understanding them because they're too riled about the issue.

I went to college with tossers like these. They'd attend anti-capitalist demonstrations and finish the day with a trip to McDonalds.

I'd bet my left ovary this bunch give no shits about the rights of transpeople but relish the idea of intimidating and harassing women

“There is no need to minimise the seriousness of this behaviour.”

I agree. But it is counter productive to exaggerate it as well. It’s bad enough as it is.

It shocks me far more that pro life people are allowed to picket abortion clinics and harass clients of the clinic

just going back to the misgendering for a second.

Does anyone else find this apparent new piece of etiquette completely baffling?

I feel like I'm in a 16th Century French Royal Court:

'La Sirrah, you misgendereth me, which AS WE ALL KNOW IT LITERAL VIOLENCE. There is only one way to sort this out - a duel to the death. You cunt.'

this is also very shocking Olympiathequeen. But luckily I have enough shock to go around.

They do seem to think, or at any rate like to say, that just discussing this issue puts trans people at risk. A trans poet tweeted about organising escorts for trans friends to get home safely as if expecting that the people going to the meeting would go out and look for trans people to abuse. Miranda Yardley, who is a trans woman, was a speaker at the meeting, but that doesn't seem to count, as Miranda is against self-ID.

It is no exaggeration to say that I would have felt terrified if that was me because of an incident that happened to me when I was 14 - see my previous posts Bertrand.

I was scared and triggered looking at that video.

I think a peaceful protest is fine.

It also reminds me of those who protest outside abortion clinics. It's meant to intimidate and induce fear. Thankfully these protests are now not allowed outside the clinic in Ealing.

This is disgraceful behaviour! Who gives these people the right to scare and intimidate women attending a lawful meeting? Shocking!

A lot of the Tarquins who go in for this sort of thing have picked up tactics and attitudes from other activist causes - anti-fascism, anti-racism etc. Even then, this particular type of masked thuggery is usually displayed against people who, no matter how misguided or horrible their opinions, are less capable of physically standing up for themselves - middle-aged, unfit academics, for example.
There have always been a particular type of student politico, generally well brought up and from a comfortable background, who gets into some or other cause and finds it ever so exciting to act the hardarse in a group of like-minded wannabe hardarses. In my own student days (mid-80s) the main issue was the miners' strike. I had a couple of friends who were from Nottingham and who knew Notts miners (the ones who went back to work and rejected Scargill) - one of my mates got shoved into a wall and called a scab bitch by some poxy home counties Socialist Worker type - she was 5/2 girl, on her own...

I still find the whole 'trans activists vs radfems' argument to be worryingly polarized, with a certain amount of stupidity and arseholery on both sides - to the extent that I really do think that the whole business is being manipulated by people who have the interests of neither women, feminists, trans or gender-non-confirming people at heart.

I'd bet my left ovary this bunch give no shits about the rights of transpeople but relish the idea of intimidating and harassing women

Meh. I just think they’re rather dull, feeble and easily led people with few friends who hitch their wagon to whatever the latest trendy groupthink is so they can get a sense of belonging by having a common enemy who just happens to be an awful lot weaker than them and an easy target.

Elendon- I am sure that it would have been very frightening for some of the people there- and I am sorry that the video had that effect on you.

But it wasn’t violence.

Masks are also an antifa thing - I think because they don't trust the establishment and the police?

Cross post Olympian.

I have had an abortion, because I didn't want to miscarry a third time, the 'holyjoes' were a sad and elderly bunch saying the rosary. I joined in with the hail mary, in Irish, just to add my utter contempt for them.

Well, that's your view Bertrand. We differ on that.

I found it violent.

Could we agree on aggressive and intimidating?

“I found it violent.”

You can’t have your own definition of violence. Otherwise it’s OK to say that misgendering is violence. Which I hope we all agree it isn’t.

I find both this and the protestors who stand outside abortion clinics and harass women shocking. I also note that in both cases women are the targets of the harassment.

@surferjet yes! Exactly what I think and I think that's what @sentMai is saying too.
You don't pick and choose when free speech can be used. Whether it's something I agree with or not, I'd never stop someone else saying their peice. Even if it makes me angry.

Emotions run high during protests as it's something they truly believe in on both sides.

I wouldn't call them terrorists, arseholes maybe but ppl counter protest all the time.

The slapping the camera thing, if someone had a camera on me (loathe being on camera/photos etc) and they didn't remove it Wen asked I would absolutely slap it away.

EVERYONE has rights whether u agree with their beliefs or not. It's unfortunate that's these kinds of events (protests) contain such anger but at the same time it's fuelled by passion.

I hope I explained that right

How did they manage to get into the meeting? Did the masked people give way? Did the police intervene? They couldn't really push past could they?