Woman in Paris attacked the street

[IAmInsignificunt]

This is utterly shocking but is something I know so many women have been the victim of.
I once told a man to “fuck off” on the tube because he kept stroking my hand. He lifted my skirt and pushed my head against the glass petition and shouted “slut” as he left the carriage.

www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/30/uproar-in-france-over-video-of-woman-marie-laguerre-hit-by-harasser-in-paris-street

“CCTV video of the attack on Laguerre, given to her by the cafe owner, has now gone viral after she posted it on Facebook. It has also bolstered the French government attempts to outlaw sexual harassment on the country’s streets and public transport.

Laguerre was walking home around 6.45pm past a cafe close to Buttes-Chaumont park in the 19th arrondissement of north Paris, when she encountered her attacker. She said he “made dirty noises, comments and whistled” toward her as they passed. Instead of walking on, Laguerre decided to call him out, responding “Ta gueule!”, or shut up.

“I didn’t even think he heard me,” she told the newspaper Le Parisien. “But he had heard me and suddenly things happened suddenly. He grabbed an ashtray and threw it at me. It missed my head by a few centimetres.”

Laguerre shouted back at the man. “I felt hatred. I refused to be demeaned, it was humiliating.” The man walked back and as she stood facing him, hit her hard.“

The attacker has not been found. That poor woman!

I guess we are all different. If I were that woman I would be more grateful at that moment for some hefty bloke collaring the bastard and sitting on him so he could be hauled into court and I could get justice. Time enough for comfort once the bastard is prone on the floor.

I was recently harassed on public transport and when I stood up for myself, was physically attacked. I reacted in the way I was always told to: shout up loudly, "stop touching me, get off me" etc, call the staff for help.

I got no support from the staff, told off by other people for not just moving seats (like it was my own fault), tutting and eye rolls because I made a fuss. I stayed as calm and dignified as I could and focused on protecting myself instead of fighting back - I was blamed for being the victim, never mind giving him a good whack back.

Following the event when I told people I knew, all the reactions were "next time kick him in the balls" or threaten him with xyz...

Women literally can't do anything right, even when they are the victim.
Do nothing, it's your fault, stand up for yourself and get beaten up in broad daylight!

I showed this to my husband, who sat there open mouthed in shock. I said what some PP's have said - THIS is why women don't "fight back" as we're constantly lectured to. This is why women don't make eye contact. This is why women don't walk alone after dark. This is why women probably won't be safe to walk alone in the bright daylight soon. Because the moment you challenge one of these walking bombs, they go off. I'm trying to educate him, but honestly, he has absolutely no clue about what we face on a daily basis. I can explain till I'm blue in the face about having to be hyper aware of everyone around me when I'm alone. About locking the car when I'm driving. About why I look behind me constantly. About why I look at train carriages and choose one carefully. He's had no idea, until now, how quickly a simple "go away and leave me alone" can turn into your face being smashed in, your hair being grabbed, your body dragged along the street against your will, your breasts being groped......It's like he's been living on another fucking planet, no matter how many times I've explained. So I'd like to thank this woman for publishing this video and for letting me show him why things have to change. He thinks only a few men behave like this and most of them are good guys, like him. He can't conceive it any other way. Yet most women have been harassed in some way during their lives. I doubt it's the same twenty men doing all that.....Wolves in sheep's clothing indeed.

socio ugh it's exhausting isn't it! I feel your post so deeply.

I too am trying to help my husband understand. I made the decision to tell him every single time something happens when I am alone rather than minimise as I would usually have done.

This woman is so brave in speaking out and has done all women a huge service - I'm sure she is receiving a lot of horrible backlash too.

The Paris metro is harrassment central with men rubbing themselves up against you like dogs. Awful video but I am not shocked. I think it happens a lot in Paris.

The only time I've been flashed was on the underground in Paris. Twice.

One man approached us as we looked at the map with a big trench coat on. I thought he was looking at the map too but he kept looking at me. I glanced down and he was masturbating. I grabbed my friends but they thought it was because the train had arrived.

This was 20 years ago.

I can't fully remember what happens the second time, I just have the memory that I was flashed at twice on a uni trip to Paris.

"If a man is causing problems in the ladies loo, just tell him to leave"

"If a man is causing problems in the changing room while you are naked and extra vulnerable just tell him to leave"

"If a man is causing problems in a refuge, he can be asked to leave"

This illustrates why we don't ask them to leave. Why we put our heads down, do our business as quickly as possible and leave the room before anything untoward happens

I was surprised that nobody went to check that she was ok or even spoke to her. It was good to see that there was a quick reaction to the attacker but really sad that no one was acknowledging the victim.

I lived in Paris 20+ years ago and was amazed on an almost daily basis at the behaviour of (some) men towards me. The open sleeziness was so shocking, the fact that men would touch me or talk to me inappropriately in full view, day and night. It felt as if it was the responsibility of women to prove that they were not interested to avoid being given unwanted attention - It sounds as if things may have got worse since my time there.

sociopaths

There was a good blog piece linked on here a while back about "Shroedinger's Rapist" which you could show him. It made me think - and I'm a woman.

Will try and find

Shrodingers Rapist

HERE /\ /\ /\ /\

Fucking hell spanishwife.

OMG Transplants THANK YOU. THIS is IT. Absolutely IT. I'm going to get him to read it and hopefully it'll help him understand. Thank you.

You're welcome

I have only once seen a pervert taken to task in public - it was about 30 years ago.
An elderly man pinched a woman’s bottom in Sainsbury’s. Used to be a common form of assault then.

On that occasion, it was another woman who loudly shouted “I saw that, you disgusting pervert! I saw what you did to that lady!” and she kept it up until the shamed man scurried out of the shop with the other shoppers, men and women, all glaring furiously at him.

I wonder if those café customers realised what had happened and just saw an angry man attack a woman, not understanding that it was the harrassment of a total stranger.

Shame on him, the bastard. I bet he wasn't raised to treat women like that. What happens to these men to hate women so much?

The video of this is just awful. How much hate towards women must he harbour to do this so publicly (not that privately is better of course but most abusers do have awareness that it's criminal).

I hope he is found and convicted.

This is exactly why women rarely challenge strange men.

Paris is awful - I had a man very painfully grab me between the legs and was basically told I was dressed inappropriately when I found a guard. In jeans and a vest top in summer, god knows what I should have got in a skirt. France has a very different philosophy towards this I have found - even women I'd expect to be on side have said that being assaulted by men shows you have power over them. I don't really get it so might be explaining it wrong - basically women can make men lose control so they're in control. Clearly a load of crap, the power is in the one with the powerful right hook...

I once asked (politely) ‘do I know you?’ to a man who told me to ‘smile, love!’ He went ballistic - shouted ‘do I want to know you, you fucking slag! You bitch!’
I was shaken and scared by it, but I would say it again. We have to stand up to these absolute arseholes who think they can treat us like this.

Reminds me of that poor woman that got pushed under a bus on a bridge in London by a male jogger. Never caught him did they?

I had a bad experience in Paris. Nothing this bad but a guy came up with his arms raised and got in my face and yelled. I was just walking down the street.

He went off talking loudly to himself. It was very intimidating. I was in my early 20's. I am glad this video shows what lots of women have experienced.

sociopathsunited Part 2;
For those who's response to Schrodinger’s Rapist is NAMALT - the Russian Roulette analogy.

researchtobedone.wordpress.com/2012/10/18/for-those-who-dont-understand-schrodingers-rapist/

It is years since I’ve been in Paris, but the harassment was constant. I even had a man try and get me into his car, while his ancient Maman was in the back ! While walking with a friend we had a man grab her crotch and my breast at the same time. It was horrendous, just unbelievable. We were young , maybe that was part of it , but it was grim.

I went to Paris on my own last summer and within less than five minutes of leaving my hotel for the first time was being followed and pestered by a man. He was furious when I told him to leave me alone. I am hardly a looker, and am in my 40s (so used to being completely invisible in the UK, which is great). God knows what it must be like for younger women. Well, we can see from that video, can't we?