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Mass sexual assaults in Cologne on New Years Eve

999 replies

Cellardoor1 · 04/01/2016 22:20

I've just read this and I'm shocked that such a thing could happen. A group of around 1,000 men gathered and assaulted at least 60 women and girls and also pickpocketed people. Apparently the news wasn't released until now out of fears it could stir up tension as the men appeared to be of Arab/North African appearance, possibly refugees.

abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/cologne-police-chief-condemns-sex-assaults-years-eve-36083833

OP posts:
Roonerspism · 06/01/2016 19:51

Does anyone else feel that their can be no "isms" - racists, open discussions about cultural distinctions which DO exist for fear of being branded racist.

but no matter the SEXISM that results and the erosion of our freedoms.

Can you imagine if this was an organised assault on a group of men?

MamaMary · 06/01/2016 19:56

Werksallhourz, excellent post. I feel your anger and I share it one hundred percent.

Egosumquisum · 06/01/2016 20:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Pinkchampchoccies · 06/01/2016 20:20

"Werksallhourz, excellent post. I feel your anger and I share it one hundred percent."
I agree.

noeffingidea · 06/01/2016 20:24

ego I'm not surprised at all, at least not about the guardian. It doesn't fit their agenda.

carlajean · 06/01/2016 20:24

An interesting piece on the BBC coverage
isthebbcbiased.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/censoring-news.html?m=1

onthephone100 · 06/01/2016 20:26

There are now far right extremists demonstrating at cologne train station...

Pinkchampchoccies · 06/01/2016 20:28

I wonder what German women would make of this thread and the anger and worry we share about what happened in Cologne and other German cities... Is there a German 'Mumsnet' which is comparable?

I asked this question many pages ago and it is probably a naive one: what can one do, if anything, to promote and protect women's rights in our current globalised mixed up world? How can social media & new technologies help, if at all...? I don't identify with a lot of feminist discourse, its too much hair splitting and hypocrisy. What else is there or could there be?
I think MN is a 'feminist' vehicle.

Igneococcus · 06/01/2016 20:36

I'm on a German parenting site but is not at all like MN, there are fewer users of the forum and the ones there know each other quite well. The discussions there have been quite frustrating over the last two days.

Roonerspism · 06/01/2016 20:38

pink I agree. I'm shocked at how cross I am.

MariscallRoad · 06/01/2016 20:48

Some reported had their hand bags stollen. Some said were surrounded and groped by a crowd of 30 men. One girl was child and her father witnessed his daughter been sexually harassed. It must be horror to have that experience. It is scary also to have all credit cards and passport stollen. That fireworks were thrown in the middle of the crowds is a fact and clearly shown in the video clips and photos. That police had seen the events is also on videos. So we need to have Merkel's views on that.

OTheHugeManatee · 06/01/2016 20:50

pink Feminism has been hijacked by a load of social justice warriors who wank on about 'intersectionality' and are happy to sideline women's interests in favour of whichever victim-identity is currently flavour of the month.

That's not to say it can't be reclaimed by the angry female masses. IMO this kind of imported misogyny, aided and abetted by the 'you can't say that' conspiracy of silence, is the most serious threat to women's rights we have seen for decades. If the people who call themselves feminists can't bear to look at it because waaaaacist then others will just have to take the banner from them.

SurferJet · 06/01/2016 20:58

OTheHugeManatee more than happy to take that banner & hold it high with you.

A new era of feminism beckons.

Destinysdaughter · 06/01/2016 20:59

I am struggling to square my anti racist and pro feminist views with this. Are we forced to take one side over the other? I want to give ethic minorities and immigrants/ refugees the benefit of the doubt but ultimately my priorities and concerns will always be with preserving the rights and safety of women. How do we reconcile the two..? I have no answers.

MaybeDoctor · 06/01/2016 21:00

Do any of the German posters have an insight into what men on German forums/news sites/social media are saying?

Justanotherlurker · 06/01/2016 21:04

Destiny, we need a measured approach and actually debate immigration for one thing.

www.spiegel.de/international/europe/refugee-debate-in-germany-needs-more-nuance-a-1067761.html

visitorfromgermany · 06/01/2016 21:04

Igneococcus...I really tried over there, you know....

I like this talk much better than the german one we share...

KERALA1 · 06/01/2016 21:09

Many German women suffered terribly in ww2 at the hands of the Russians. Dh is German. We mustn't let this happen again

Igneococcus · 06/01/2016 21:11

It's very different to MN over there visitor It's almost impossible to have a proper discussion. It used to be better but it's now very cliquy. I'm mostly still there out of habit and for a handful of people.

Igneococcus · 06/01/2016 21:19

I haven't seen any male responses maybedoctor sorry. I usually read some of the comments on Spiegel but haven't had time during the last days. I have a look through the message boards tomorrow.

Kreacherelf · 06/01/2016 21:23

If I was in charge, any man found guilty of this kind of assault would have their genitals removed with a rusty old spoon.

Luckily for them, I'm not in charge.

Tatiana44 · 06/01/2016 21:26

Phew, very well put Werksallhourz. This was a cheap and easy way to intimidate so that women relinquish public space.

EssexMummy1234 · 06/01/2016 21:28

Werksallhourz - great post, TheTimes website is accepting comments on it's website if you'd like to share your thoughts there.

Werksallhourz · 06/01/2016 21:31

Destinys How are there sides here?

It is simply a question of violent thugs versus decently behaved individuals. In this case, those violent thugs may behave the way they do because of their cultural beliefs and values.

But so what? They are still violent thugs that should be chastised or removed from our societies. And we have mechanisms for this: we can fine violent thugs, we can imprison violent thugs. When said thugs are not nationals, we can deport them. Another thing we do not do is open the borders and allow thousands of violent thugs into our societies by refusing to conduct an orderly and properly funded immigration scheme that checks people properly.

To my mind, anyone that starts claiming this is somehow racist or that we shouldn't talk about it because the thugs are of a certain ethnicity or creed is merely attempting to avoid taking action against violence and thuggery in our societies. It is an excuse to do nothing.

The desire to be an anti-racist society does not negate our rights to safety and security. Indeed, what does "anti-racism" even mean in a climate where mass sexual assault against women in public space occurs? It is a bit like writing out a parking ticket for a dumped and burnt out car.

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