When politicians are shouted at - welcome to our world

[theOtherPamAyres]

Ever since the media chose to interview politicians in the open air, outside Parliament, it has become a national sport to shout obscenities, show your backside to the nation and make rude gestures behind them.

The answer, of course, is to use a studio rather than expose politicians to the worst kind of behaviour from opponents.

Anna Soubry MP was called a Fascist and a Nazi and thinks that the police ought to have arrested the loud mouths. There is a lot of righteous indignation on Twitter - 'no place for such behaviour in our democracy', says Yvette Cooper MP.

Quite right. It is abominable that anyone should face violent language and slurs. But no-one, including women MPs, says anything when it happens to ordinary women.

I'm sorry that you, Anna Soubry (and Owen Jones and Jacob Rees Mogg) are experiencing such barracking. You may not have noticed but there are a lot of us who are routinely abused, slurred, smeared, doxxed, assaulted and subject to vexatious and false claims of hate crimes, in the real world. I would think more of politicians if they could see the wider picture rather than notice appalling tactics only when it used against themselves.

Bit goady.

Whilst I agree that it's not on to call someone a Nazi I'm not sure it's illegal? (sure someone will soon correct me if I'm wrong) so not really sure where this can go.

Agree OP that plenty of women have had to put up with much worse over the last forever few years but no ones really given a toss. How is this different?

hmm, on a different thread someone pointed out how uniquely threatening it is for a woman to be surrounded by aggressive men, and I do think that's true.

Bernard yes, very true actually.

The current targeting and hounding of women MPs is shocking. Unfortunately I doubt anyone on this section will care though.

@SinisterBumFacedCat - My impression is that people ‘here’ do and will care about MPs being abused and intimidated - what people will also point out is the similar abuse targeted at feminists - which recieves no publicity - Also I would feel that being abused whilst being filmed by the national media and close to lots of police some with guns - make you feel less vulnerable than being by yourself outside a community centre surrounded by maked thugs

The current targeting and hounding of women MPs is shocking. Unfortunately I doubt anyone on this section will care though.

Either you're new or your reading here has been very selective if that's the impression you have.

There's been some particularly nasty hounding of female Jewish politicians, one of the factors which has lead some feminists to renounce support for the Labour Party, I believe.

The current targeting and hounding of women MPs is shocking.
Unfortunately I doubt anyone on this section will care though.

Nonsense.
That's a bizarre and ridiculous accusation against FWR women.

Well, I notice that the violent extremists trying to shut down feminists meetings via intimidation and even bomb threats haven't been a feature on rolling news.

Sadly, I've used up all my sympathy points while these women being intimidated and attacked were roundly ignored.

I've got my priorities. MPs and the BBC have theirs.

Reminder of how last year women attending the 'We Need To Talk' meeting at The Jam Jar in Bristol were blocked from going into the event by TRAs wearing balaclavas and facemasks:
www.facebook.com/julie.bindel/videos/pcb.10160135970780316/10160135907955316/?type=3&theater
thread:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3228346-Everyone-should-see-this-IMPORTANT

2017 Video of Maria Maclachlan being attacked at Speakers Corner by male TRAs including T. Wolf who was later convicted of assaulting her.

Janice Turner,
'The battle over gender has turned bloody
Women who believe that their rights are threatened by transgender activists now find themselves at risk of assault'
(extract)
hen is it OK to punch a woman? I’ve pondered this question since Wednesday evening when I watched a 60-year-old in specs and sensible shoes called Maria being smacked in the face. Yet I learn from her assailant’s defenders that it’s fine. Punch harder next time, guys! Because “acts of physical violence against those who are systemically violent are self-defence”.

I was at Speakers’ Corner waiting, along with about 80 others, to learn the secret location of a meeting entitled, “What is gender? The Gender Recognition Act [GRA] and beyond”. It was all very cloak and dagger because the original venue, a south London community centre, had cancelled the previous day on health and safety grounds. Which is one way of saying “trans rights activists harangued our staff and threatened, via various Facebook groups, to cause havoc if it went ahead”. Then, hearing of the Hyde Park rendezvous, they rang every conceivable venue within a mile radius to promise mayhem. Having failed to find it, about 15 of them arrived at Speakers’ Corner with placards saying “TERFs not welcome.”

TERF stands for Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist. But lately the definition has expanded to include any woman worried that permitting men who “self-identify” as female to enter women’s changing rooms or refuges unchallenged makes her less safe. Which is exactly what will happen if reform of the GRA, as championed by Maria Miller, who chairs the Commons women and equalities committee, goes ahead this autumn.

TERFs, according to trans activists, are evil. TERF is the new witch. Search on Twitter for “TERFs must die” or “burn in a fire, TERF” and behold a cauldron of violent vitriol. Before the meeting, a trans-woman posted: “Any idea where this is happening? I want to f* some TERFs up, they are no better than fash [fascists].” Search “punch a TERF” and you will find crowing approval of what happened to Maria." (continues)

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-battle-over-gender-has-turned-bloody-2wpkmnqhh

Sinister you posted on the wrong site, that particular viewpoint is better suited to Twitter, off you go.

This is what I mean. Not even a page in and the trans posts start. So many important issues have been completely ignored on this board.

chewy I will post where I like, thanks.

This is what I mean. Not even a page in and the trans posts start

I have linked examples of harrassment and physical assault by women following LangCleg's comment and points made by the the OP.

This is how I post.

The important issue is about women being harrassed, threatened & intimidated by males whether that's Brexiteers or TRAs, its the same dynamic although as the OP points out:

I'm sorry that you, Anna Soubry (and Owen Jones and Jacob Rees Mogg) are experiencing such barracking. You may not have noticed but there are a lot of us who are routinely abused, slurred, smeared, doxxed, assaulted and subject to vexatious and false claims of hate crimes, in the real world. I would think more of politicians if they could see the wider picture rather than notice appalling tactics only when it used against themselves.

What did you think this thread was going to be about? It's about the abuse women get when they express political opinions. GC feminists have had a lot of abuse and threats in the last year or so. That's entirely relevant as the OP makes clear.

Sinister you mean you’d like to goad where you like.

This thread is weird

Why wouldn't FWR regulars care about the abuse suffered by female MPs? That makes literally no sense

Not even a page in and the trans posts start.

I don't give a shit whether the violent extremists disrupting and threatening women's meetings are trans, not trans, or aliens from outer space. I give a shit that actual violence against women's meetings doesn't make the news headlines for an entire cycle but shouting at MPs does.

Classism. Sexism. We are being told that is acceptable to silence working class women but must all doff our caps at MPs and posh blue-haired students. Bollocks to that.

To quote an old MN canard, are you on glue, Sinister?

Trans posts? Frightening actual examples of violence and hatred more like

Why wouldn't FWR regulars care about the abuse suffered by female MPs? That makes literally no sense

Because we can’t possibly think about two things at once.

Ah, yes, you're right Aspie, of course....hang on, look at that fluffy kitten over there! She's so cute!

I’ve got watched the clip of this on BBC news. She does not appear to be being intimidated or harassed. The chanting of the words “Nazi” and “Scum” are very unpleasant, but the rest is a politician being followed and questioned by members of the public.

The importance of being able to protest and ask questions of politicians on others is VERY important.

To say that those following her asking questions and chanting (protesting?) should be arrested is wrong and would set a very dangerous precedent for other legitimate protests. Including those by women...

There is no justification for the abuse that MPs are having to put up with for their beliefs.

Unfortunately, they aren’t fast enough to criticise when it is Owen Jones or Nigel Farage being abused. You can’t choose - decent standards apply whoever is speaking - or prepare to be value-judged on your views by whatever crowd happens to have turned up.

How quickly some seem to have forgotten the actions of the Suffragettes.