This is what happens when women try to meet to discuss and respond to a public consultation that affects them

[WillNotBeSilenced]

• Attempts to get the venue to cancel the room booking
• Protest organised
• Threats of violence posted online
• Group of (mainly males) blocking the entrance and intimidating women
• One person (appeared to be a transman, although we didn't get as far as preferred pronouns) filming the women going into the building and trying to get their names
• Attempts made to get into the room so women have to barricade themselves in

What were the women trying to do? Hold a private meeting to discuss their responses to a public consultation and to express the view that the current law should be maintained and that the safety and privacy of women and girls should be taken into account by decision-makers.

twitter.com/elletorrito/status/1051229830711250945

Ooh, hi WillNot we've just coincided with new threads.

Shall we join up?
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3393895-A-Manchester-womens-meeting-today-was-disrupted-by

(Or maybe we'll be stopped by a big banner across our threads stopping us for doing so!)

Can we combine two threads or do we just have to ask Mumsnet to delete one?

This is appalling. Was this the fortnightly meeting?

I have no idea Not but you've got more comments, so I'll see what I can do to delete mine. I'll leave my original post here as it has the quote from Elle about what they discussed:

So when women try to meet in Manchester they're disrupted by...(...I'll leave it to you all to fill in the blanks for yourself!)

Massive congratulations to you Elle Torrito and all the others, for persisting, despite the aggression shown to you:

Quote from twitter.com/elletorrito/status/1051233953196232704
You know what we discussed?

A government consultation about changes to the law which directly affect women.

Relatedly; Children in care, women’s refuges, female prisoners, DBS checks, the Human Rights Act, the Equality Act, the EHRC

Message once again received: Women, stop talking without us.

It's a monthly feminist group meeting which covers a wide range of topics but this month's was on the GRA consultation.

And bizarrely, women are painted as the ones refusing to discuss the issues.

I am absolutely LIVID. Please can some major news outlet get this. I am not on Twitter. Can it be shared somehow with journalists? My god I’m fuming.

A private meeting too. Are our private conversations not allowed? Big brother is watching you!

That must have been scary

I have many, many questions for and about the lesbians holding the banner. I'm sure you can guess them.

What did the venue say about the attempts at cancellation? I am guessing they stood up to the bullying, which is good.

I am not against public protest for anyone but this seems to be going too far - they should keep a distance, women should be allowed to cover their heads to avoid being filmed etc etc. I hope the meeting went ahead.

I spent 25 minutes filling in the on line Government consultation document this week many of the questions of which assume everyone commenting is trans, I felt but it is worth completing it. I support leaving the current law alone as it is a fair compromise.

Hang on - did the police come charging with their horsey for this? Or is that just the procedure for 3 women and a handful of leaflets?

The TRA / AWA are on such a power trip. The women hating just drips off them.
That must have been awful.

Not good at all.

I will be wearing a headscarf if I go to one of these events.

Their parents must be so proud.

There were definitely more lesbians inside the meeting than holding the banner (although that's not difficult!!)

Yes, the venue refused to capitulate to the transactivists. I think it helps that this is a long-standing group who've used their rooms many times before without incident. This is not one of the many groups which have been set up specifically in response to and to campaign on self-ID/trans issues (although they are gender critical) but a well-established feminist group which looks at a whole range of feminist issues - only this month they had the temerity to discuss a subject that the men didn't approve of!

Maybe they should have invited the 'heid bummer' into the meet g to listen to what was being discussed.

Do they really think it's a gaggle of nasty women sitting around drinking tea and bitching about transvestites all night? (Yes they probably do in their sad self centred world).

I recognise one of the men (presenting as a man) there as being from this organisation www.sparkle.org.uk

I’m not surprised.

Yet more clear evidence (as if we need any more) of the repeated intimidation and threats handed out to women by trans groups.

Saw a photo of this elsewhere and it showed a group of mostly men holding a banner that said 'Manchester lesbians...'

I mean, honestly, they should take a look at themselves!

fucking hell, yes, where was the police horse?

still on his way up from Bristol

but good work chaps

watching the video of people trying to intimidate Julie Bindel at the Jam Jar really brought home to me how damaging this all is. i expect this will do the same for others

Hmmm. Looks like there may have been some interesting characters among the "Manchester Lesbians" intimidating women yesterday

Maria MacLachlan thinks one of them may have been one of the men who assaulted her:

twitter.com/Skepticat_UK/status/1051288667438899200

And another (suddenly camera-shy) protester has the same shirt as Manchester-based penis-waggling enthusiast Jess Bradley:

twitter.com/sharmudgeon/status/1051429478768005121

Video footage as the attendees left the meeting.

twitter.com/hear_woman/status/1051493272839958528

The TRAs are trying to present this as a friendly, loving, peaceful protest.

Makes me so fucking mad. Absolute aresholes

That picture of who is holding the banner is like a microcosm of this whole debate. Do they think we don't have eyes?

Disgusting behaviour. Women have a right to assemble and talk.