Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Feminism: chat

Original poster

Leeds WPUK cancelled

288 replies

LiverpoolReSisters · 28/09/2018 16:54

IMPORTANT NOTICE - It is with regret that we have to announce that our meeting in Leeds cannot go ahead due to late and unreasonable cancellation. We will be emailing attendees shortly with more information. We condemn this act of silencing women. More to follow.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
12
arranfan · 03/10/2018 10:44

“Since cancelling the booking we have received a number of complaints about our actions. However, it is clear that had the group making the booking been more open and transparent on the purpose of the meeting we would have had ample time to fully consider and prepare for any security, safety and equality concerns.”

Popchyk - I could be wrong, but I think the get out clause for many councils will be insisting on equality standards that might involve splitting ticket sales between groups with different agenda. Insisting on a mixed platform of speakers. And then deciding that that risk made the security costs too high.

I'd be thrilled beyond measure to be wrong.

Beagadorsrock · 03/10/2018 10:45

Those lies! I'm aghast!

Firstly, I find I am blocked by the Sprout itself on twitter Grin- first time I'm blocked by one of these accounts, I must have been doing something right!

Secondly, it's clear that they're now panicking that 'it's our room' as an excuse for gagging women is not going to fly in the face of either contract law (see the cases I mentioned earlier, notably Verrall) and / or public duties/human rights.

Popchyk · 03/10/2018 10:53

arranfan, you mean the Muslim Council of Britain would have to include Christian, Jews and atheists in their meetings?

Popchyk · 03/10/2018 10:58

Bloody hell, Leeds Council really are hardcore.

Have you seen this outrage?

www.leedstownhall.co.uk/whats-on/talk/owen-jones-building-a-new-britain/4196

Owen Jones: Building a New Britain
Mon 19 November
Victoria Hall
Leeds Town Hall

"Due to unforeseen circumstances, we regret that Owen Jones is unable to appear at Leeds Town Hall on 19th November. We are sorry for any disappointment."

Quick, get me Harrop on the phone. Grin

arranfan · 03/10/2018 11:05

arranfan, you mean the Muslim Council of Britain would have to include Christian, Jews and atheists in their meetings?

Dara Ó Briain has an excellent sketch about 'balance' in news reports and discussions.

It will be interesting to see if Councils apply very different standards to WPUK and, if they do, if that is the basis for action/complaint. What I have in mind here is that Quaker venues cancelled on WPUK after similar concerns? (This may be my misinterpretation and I have a feeling there were several Quaker venues involved.)

womansplaceuk.org/brighton-meeting/

Datun · 03/10/2018 11:08

How ridiculous do they look?! They have openly said on Twitter they disagree with the content.

Firth also said he bought a ticket. So how could WPUK have been booking the room in a fake name?

And then to say, that they cancelled, because they were worried about security. When it is they who are promoting the instability and threat!

Do they think people can't read??

MipMipMip · 03/10/2018 11:57

I think you buy a ticket and get told the venue later. So pricks people but a ticket do they know the time then when the venue is released Marshall the protesters. Must have been his lucky day to find it was somewhere he could close down.

WichBitchHarpyTerfThatsMe · 03/10/2018 11:59

Leeds CC are being rather disingenuous giving out that second statement. It has no bearing whatsoever on their original, published, reasons for cancelling the event. I don't know how they think that second statement in any way accords with the reasons people have complained to them. How on earth is that a valid response to complaints?

Datun · 03/10/2018 12:00

Yes that's true, the venue was announced at the last minute.

But how could they disagree with the content of a meeting that hadn't happened?

Clearly they can't. Because they haven't been able to give any evidence of transphobia.

Either way, the slippery, shifting narrative and reasons is just showing them up

arranfan · 03/10/2018 12:01

Must have been his lucky day to find it was somewhere he could close down.

It did, however, provide the hilarious scenario that people who were gathering to protest the meeting then tried to follow the women when an alternate venue was found but lost their trail. And complained on Twitter about the WPUK sneakiness that somehow they'd managed to lose them - thereby demonstrating suspiciously good evasion skills :)

WichBitchHarpyTerfThatsMe · 03/10/2018 12:04

arran did the protesters really say that about WPUK on twitter?!

arranfan · 03/10/2018 12:13

Yes - it was hilarious because of the lack of self-awaress.

I think I can't find it now because it was in response to a (now deleted) tweet by the Richard F who crowed about reporting the venue (after receiving notification) and then moving to have the meeting cancelled. She actually asked if someone could text her the new venue if they knew it. I suspect she thought that WPUK would have contacted Richard (as a ticket-buyer) to reveal the new venue.

I've no idea if the numbers of women who stayed outside the venue while waiting to see if there was a new one (and to protest the council's actions) outnumbered the Woke Protesters (IYSWIM) who then had to split up to attempt to follow the WPUK women to the new venue. And then failed for whatever reason :)

ErrolTheDragon · 03/10/2018 12:23

Were a lot of the WPUK supporters able to take advantage of being women of a certain age and therefore invisible?

arranfan · 03/10/2018 12:25

Were a lot of the WPUK supporters able to take advantage of being women of a certain age and therefore invisible?

I like your explanation, ErrolTheDragon :) I wish I could find it now to see if anyone accused WPUK of handing out invisibility cloaks or spells (being witches, harpies and whatnot) :)

Kr1stina · 03/10/2018 12:27

Ah I knew my cloak of invisibility would come in handy sometime

WichBitchHarpyTerfThatsMe · 03/10/2018 12:29

I was there arran. There were around 30 protesters and 70+ of us there to meet despite the venue having cancelled. As far as I could see all of us who attended to protest at the meeting being cancelled then went to the pub where the re-convened meeting took place. It was literally around the corner from the Civic Hall. Word went around quietly about the new venue.

The woke ones were playing music and being rather joyful as we all sauntered off, clearly thinking we were all off home and they'd won. I don't often feel smug but I did, a little, at the knowledge that they had no clue the meeting was going ahead anyway!

As soon as we got to the pub I posted on here, largely to let people know we hadn't been stopped. I do confess I was eager to let the woke know that they hadn't succeeded in stopping us. They must have been soooo pissed off. As for that tweet you mentioned, it's so incredibly immature. They have no idea how stupid they show themselves to be.

arranfan · 03/10/2018 12:34

It was literally around the corner from the Civic Hall. Word went around quietly about the new venue.

So, we're really talking Special Forces cum Ninja levels of evasion then? :) That is so superb. It will keep me smiling for the rest of the day.

WichBitchHarpyTerfThatsMe · 03/10/2018 13:00

Special Forces indeed! We didn't even need our cloaked of invisibility we just walked away from the Civic Hall and if they'd simply paid attention to us, instead of dancing and being self-celebratory, they might have noticed we still had smiles on our faces and a skip in our step. But no, so utterly convinced of their apparent victory they didn't pay attention to us.

WichBitchHarpyTerfThatsMe · 03/10/2018 13:00

cloakes!

AlecTrevelyan006 · 03/10/2018 13:03

I suspect An FOI request to LCC could easily unearth a trail of very embarrassing emails...

Anlaf · 03/10/2018 13:24

I think there's been a shedload if FOIs submitted- will be interesting to see what comes back

RJFirth · 03/10/2018 17:18

We felt our point had been made that's why we didn't bother going to the Victoria Hotel.

BoreOfWhabylon · 03/10/2018 17:47

Thanks to Alison Moyet, we are now able to deploy the #WankBlock whenever necessary.

MipMipMip · 03/10/2018 19:45

Did you not want to see the remains of the meeting RJ? Or were you one of the protesters and couldn't find it -and though bouncers at a pub might be less friendly--?

WichBitchHarpyTerfThatsMe · 03/10/2018 20:33

What point was it that you felt you'd made RJ?

Getting Leeds City Council reported in the national press for reasons it will regret?

Drawing public attention to the fact that some people don't think women should be allowed to meet and discuss issues the Government is actively seeking public opinion on?

Getting yourself into trouble with, and possibly expelled by, the Green Party?

Getting the national press talking about further attempts to destroy democracy?

I for one am very glad you were able to make these points, you've done a grand job of getting more light shone on this very significant issue. Thank you for your assistance in this matter.