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Statement in support of women threatened with a 'device' for speaking

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JoanSummers · 16/06/2018 12:24

A meeting planned by the women's rights group Woman's Place UK has been threatened that a "device" will be placed at the venue.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3278892-Womans-Place-UK-meeting-threatened-with-device

The device is allegedly being placed 'in retaliation' for the Hampstead Pool action taken by another women's rights group, #ManFriday, which is organised by a group of female Mumsnet contributors.

The Hastings Woman's Place event that has been threatened is likely to be attended by women from all over the UK, including many who are regular contributors to Mumsnet.

Given that Justine and MN have recently created new rules regulating the words which women may use here when speaking about women's rights, especially in the context of the current battle over gender, in which both Woman's Place UK and #ManFriday are involved, and that Justine's statement regarding these new rules begins:
"Mumsnet will always stand in solidarity with vulnerable or oppressed minorities. Mumsnet is also committed to freedom of speech."
www.mumsnet.com/info/trans-rights-moderation-policy

I would like to ask Justine and Mumsnet if they will make a further statement in light of this new threat against a women's meeting which multiple regular MN contributors will likely be attending, stating that Mumsnet stands in solidarity with women who are speaking and organising for women's rights, and condemning the actions of those who threaten them.

How about it?

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MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 18/06/2018 14:52

Hi all,

Sorry it's taken a while to respond. We've been trying to track down the original tweet that seems to lie at the bottom of this but if we're understanding correctly it's been deleted. So the first thing to say is that we haven't seen the wording of the tweet.

Obviously we completely and unreservedly condemn all threats of violence. Civil debate and discourse is what we believe in, both in this particular area and across the boards, and people must be allowed to debate difficult topics without having to worry about their own personal safety. Some of you will know that both I personally as well as MNHQ and MNers have been attacked before, online (hacking/ denial of service) and in RL (swatting and bomb threats), so we know what we're talking about and how frightening it can be, and how it intimidates people and makes it more difficult to contribute to the debate.

If it's correct that the Man Friday protestors were namechecked in the tweet in question then we absolutely stand alongside them in calling for MN users (and all women - and, yes, all men) to be allowed to protest, campaign and speak without ever being threatened with violence.

If someone can provide us with details of the tweet, we'll see if we can reach out to Hastings Police and ask them if they can make a public statement.

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 25/06/2018 13:50

Hi again,
Some confusion here perhaps around how we make public statements. I certainly haven't refused to make a public statement in fact that's exactly what I've done here on this thread when I said:

"Obviously we completely and unreservedly condemn all threats of violence. Civil debate and discourse is what we believe in, both in this particular area and across the boards, and people must be allowed to debate difficult topics without having to worry about their own personal safety."

Posting on MN is precisely how we've always made public statements - see all the previous statements around Heartbleed, Jeffrey, Gina Ford etc.

I've just checked and though we didn't hear back from Sussex police they did put this out:

"We are not disclosing details of the investigation or of our discussions with the organisers, however the threat is being taken seriously and is not currently being linked to any other event or offence. "We are not further proactively identifying the event - that is a matter for the organisers."

Bomb threats against women's groups (or any other for that matter) are cowardly and despicable acts and precisely the type of attempt to shut down dissenting views that at Mumsnet we've been working very hard to try and avoid for the past goodness knows how long.

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