Men violently preventing women from congregating, communicating and networking, is what the Taliban do. Why is it happening in the UK?

[SingleSexSpacesInSchools]

The FiLiA Women's Liberation Conference was targeted overnight, the attackers even live tweeted the violence.

https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/25532194.live-brighton-centre-vandalised-feminist-conference-begins/

Local politicians are so far silent.

This is literally terrorism, using fear and violence to shut down legitimate peaceful discussions.

Video of the incident: https://x.com/TransBashBack/status/1976555969439223934

Yes @Noodledog - go to their website and sign up to be a Friend of FILIA.

This one is so close to getting it...

phoenixmeta
• 8h ago

If this was the other way round - something done by terfy activists at a trans conference, you’d bet your house there would be quotes at the end included from Maya Forshiter / Peeona McAnena but surprise surprise no “BBC balance” with quotes from a trans person / organisation.

Try harder, phoenixmeta, try harder to think why that has never been reported...

Yep, almost there......😊

This is only the beginning, apparently.

They are absolutely living in their own little fantasy world. I wonder if it's the side effects of cross-sex hormones.

I wondered Liberation from what exactly? They aren’t locked up ( well apart from all the convicted sex offenders) and then I reaslised it’s a thing apparently total trans liberation will liberate us all! Huzzah! Unless of course you’re keen on any selfish single sex rights.

Liberation from the constraints of material reality.

Seems clear enough to me.

From its earliest days, feminism has been in a large part about women having the right to be in all the places men are allowed to be. In the town square, on bookshelves as authors, in schools and universities, in voting booths, in the corridors of power, in the saloon bar, in the boardroom ... and in this case, in Brighton.

And men have always objected.

Nobody has justified male violence in this thread.

Domestic violence is never justified. Direct action (vandalizing a venue hosting something you take issue with, in this case) can be justifiable or not. For the people doing the vandalism, it's a justifiable way to make whatever point it is they're trying to make. For the people they're targeting, it's an unjustifiable attack on them, their freedoms and their cause.

Pointing out that it was very obvious to anyone with half a brain that holding this conference in Brighton was going to cause a reaction is not 'justifying male violence'. It doesn't mean that they should have held it somewhere else. It's just a fact.

Anyone with half a brain can see this is just intimidation of women by violent, aggressive men 🤷‍♀️ both the ones in dresses and their mates - any minimisation of that is absolutely justifying male bullying of women whatever word salad someone comes up with to excuse it.

Nobody has said Brighton belongs to trans people to the extent that nobody else has the right to do as they wish there. It is a fact that Brighton has the biggest non-straight population in the UK. It is super liberal, and known for its acceptance and support of minorities and marginalized groups.

The organisers of this conference had every right to book their event in Brighton. They also knew that in doing so, there would be a much greater risk of disruption, protests - even direct action - than if they'd held in a town with different political/social leanings.

Now a real cynic would say that they held the conference in Brighton at least partly with the intention of provoking certain groups.

There are some interesting scenarios that come to mind where gays and trans folk are not going to be too welcome. Justified?

If a gay/trans group hold an event in a location where they're 'not welcome', then the same applies. They have the right to do it, and they should expect some level of pushback.

But what reasonable justification could these men have for trying to prevent women speaking. There is no justification apart from in their misogynistic little brains. They are pure nasty bullies

@Kimura you say this Domestic violence is never justified. But in their misogynistic little mind of the abuser it is . They can always find a reason to justify their abuse. The sane with terrorists. They also have a reason in their minds. These men thought they could do this because it’s “their turf”. That’s on the police, council and government who have allowed them to think that. It’s not. They don’t own the town and if they object to people with different opinions living near them, they need to suck it up or move. Not commit violence against women. There is no excuse. None.

It is super liberal, and known for its acceptance and support of minorities and marginalized groups.

Except when the marginalised group is women.

You know full well why they take issue with the organisers of this conference. There are links to their statements in this thread.

It's justification to them. That doesn't mean it's justification to you, me or anyone else, or that they're right, or that people should accept it or agree with them. I certainly don't.

I don't think that anyone here is naive enough to genuinely believe that a bunch of Trans activists want to stop women speaking at a conference 'just because' they're women.

I can only assume that some posters have a reason for on deliberately misrepresenting the situation.

You think a literal handful of people smashing windows and protesting outside a conference means that Brighton does support women?

If a gay/trans group hold an event in a location where they're 'not welcome', then the same applies. They have the right to do it, and they should expect some level of pushback

Thing is @Kimura , I can't think of anywhere in the UK where gay people or trans people are not welcome. Homophobia and transphobia exist but nobody has claimed a turf and told gay men and trans people to stay away or else, with their MP's back up. Do you realise how nuts that sounds? I can't think of a circumstance where women would object to trans people meeting to discuss trans issues. All the "direct action" like you call it (violence and threats) comes from one side only, always.

"They have the right to do it" - are you basically saying it's okay to intimidate others and damage public property in the process? I don't think I have the right to do that and I have no desire to do it.

Bricking the windows and smashing the doors in of a feminist conference where women have gathered to discuss male violence and misogyny.

Well yes. That is the only reason. It is because they don’t want women talking. They are as bad as the taliban. I mean, what could these women possibly be saying that justifies violence? These men are fascists. They are violent, misogynistic bullies. Their reasons are pathetic. Anyone trying to justify or minimise their actions is just as bad. Would you be saying the same if a group had disrupted a trans conference in the same way. There were huge pro trans protests in London recently. Did you see groups of feral women disrupting them? No because we’re not fascists. We may think these men demanding access to female spaces are sexist bullies, but we support their right to show everyone that in their words and actions.

you say this Domestic violence is never justified. But in their misogynistic little mind of the abuser it is . They can always find a reason to justify their abuse.

It is never acceptable for a man to take his anger out on a woman with violence, regardless of whether or not that man feels justified.

But we're not talking about that. We're talking about a social/political issue in which both sides feel they are fighting for the right thing.

These men thought they could do this because it’s “their turf”. That’s on the police, council and government who have allowed them to think that.

Nobody has allowed them to do anything - they deliberately broke the law and the police will arrest them if/when they're identified.

They don’t own the town and if they object to people with different opinions living near them, they need to suck it up or move.

Eh? They don't object to anyone living there, they have an issue with the organisers of the conference. They tried to convince the council and the venue not to host it, they were ignored, so they decided to make a scene.

Not commit violence against women.

Nobody has committed violence against women, they smashed some windows and spray painted some walls in the middle of the night while nobody was there.

So if both sides (as you say) are fighting for the same thing (which is not true), then why is only one side committing violent acts, issuing death threats and rape threats and doing their best to stop the other side speaking? Could it be that the side committing these acts are misogynistic fascists and the other side is women demanding their sex based rights? Why do these men want women to stop meeting and speaking? Apart from the fact that these women are saying no to men? So these men are committing these acts because women are saying no to males in female spaces. Which is the law.

Well yes. That is the only reason. It is because they don’t want women talking.

Except that it isn't the reason, is it? Or else they'd be doing this at every event women were talking about, all over the country, all the time.

Why are you pretending not to know the very obvious and specific reason this particular group have targeted this particular conference?

They are as bad as the taliban.

Comparing a bit of vandalism where nobody got hurt and a legal protest (neither of which affected the conference in any way) to the things the Taliban have done is disgusting, disrespectful and phenomenally ignorant.

I think they're protesting because they think the women have more rights?

Seeing as they already have exactly the same rights as everyone else, it can only mean the age old argument of wanting to be in womens spaces?

It must be sooo frustrating for them.
I wonder what they think we do in there?Have a wee?
Wash our hands?
Tidy our hair?
Get changed?

Must be more than that, to spend years trying to get in.

Perhaps you can tell us @Kimura

What is the fascination for womens spaces?
Why do they want to be in there, knowing full well that it causes distress or discomfort to women?

Exactly.

But they do. Every LWS event has been disrupted. Women holding meetings have had the venues threatened. Trans activists have protested many many women’s gatherings. surely you’d know about this? Women have had tomato soup thrown at them. Women have been punched. Why are you trying to defend and minimise the actions of a group modelling itself on the taliban and fascists? A tribunal had to move locations as the judge and counsel were threatened by trans activists. This is not a one off abd there is no justification. None. They are evil fascist bullies

I didn't say they were both fighting for the same thing, I said they both feel they're fighting for the right thing.

People who genuinely believe they're doing the right thing and that they're going to be on the right side of history, have historically been willing to take extreme and often unpopular action when they feel they're not being listened to. That doesn't make them right.