A Woman's Place meeting Oxford 25 Oct

[RadFemsUnite]

A Woman's Place is at the Lectern. 'This meeting will focus on academic freedom and the current issues being faced by women in particular'
Raquel Rosario Sanchez, Selina Todd, Susan Williams. Chair: Allison Bailey. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-womans-place-is-at-the-lectern-tickets-75579284675

I'm going on my own, If anyone wants to meet up beforehand.

I am sure there will be meet ups before!

I'm also going on my own and would appreciate a meet-up.

I went in alone at Brighton - I left in a big group of women and a few men heading to the station! Felt safe to be one of lots of strangers. Imagine protestors had a similar feeling.

Be careful about planning a meeting spot or an identifiable 'badge' - anyone could be reading a thread here and share information.

The protestors had booked tickets then awaited the email with venue details. They'd all gathered for a demo in town first so as soon as one got the email they started marching up to the venue. We heard them in the distance way before they got to the place. That distant yelling getting louder was very frightening .

The kicking & punching windows showed they may be escalating.

Please take care and be vigilant.

According to the FB page the plan is for a simultaneous event rather than a protest. I hope that's right.

The larger our numbers the more powerful we are - so please everyone, encourage friends and colleagues and sisters to snap up the last remaining tickets (as of today WPUK site suggests there are a few left). @TemporaryPermanent it is brave to admit you are nervous. I am too. However, the security has always been excellent at WPUK meetings - they never just rely on the police, they always have very solid security and of course they're now very experienced at dealing with threats and protests. The last Oxford meeting attracted some student protestors who were mainly trying to film students they recognised going into the meeting. They didn't succeed in putting people off attending, though some students who attended wore very natty sunglasses to avoid being recognised. Safety in numbers, so do publicise the meeting widely.

Wise words from RadFem Don't forget all our virtual numbers either - we're here cheering you on I try to look out on meeting nights and send good feminist vibes. It's always good to read reports, and I'm always impressed by the wonderful women who can listen and tweet simultaneously - it's almost like being there in real life.

The usual transperbole: docs.google.com/document/d/1d4U5prqgrw7010u0iCY0W8S90iFBCSXrKVl-9NBTeVE/mobilebasic

I can't bring myself to read their drivel anymore but applaud those who keep an eye on it @crsacre...Thanks @cwg1, I always think the virtual numbers are proper hardcore, those of us attending go to the pub then go home but when I go back on MN I realise there's an army out there who've kept the discussion going for hours afterwards!

A spokesperson for Trans Action Oxford, who asked not to be named, added: “As a collective, Trans Action Oxford has made the decision not to directly protest the WPUK meeting.
“We do not wish to fan the flames of the narrative of false victimhood which is so often spread by groups like WPUK.
"None of our actions aim to prevent them from speaking, or stop their event from taking place.
“Instead, we have chosen to organise a demonstration of solidarity in order to give trans people a voice in discussions of their own rights, and to send out a strong message that harmful and discriminatory views such as those held by their speakers have no place in our city.”

www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/17984125.demonstration-oxford-support-transgender-people/

So they aren’t intending to protest at the venue, wherever that is? I’ll believe it when I see it. I’ll be going all cammed up either way.

If they’re having a seperate protest then Bonne Square, opposite the entrance to Westgate would be my best guess at the location. If it is then it should be well away from wherever the venue is, as I can’t think of anywhere it might be around that area. I bet they can’t resist though.

I just looked at the going list for the protest. I can’t see anyone because it only shows friends who are going, and all the people I know who would be going have long since blocked me. I bet I will know some of them though. There’s a few unpleasant characters who are bound to be causing trouble.

Can I recommend anyone arriving by train arrange to meet up with others. It’s a bit of a walk down into town from the station, and if it’s up towards Jericho, which I suspect it might be, it’s further still.

Oh that's great. It would be brilliant to be able to report back that we were able to have a good meeting and talk without feeling scared. And clearly the protesters feel that less publicity for the meeting is a good thing, which is fine too. It all helps to drop the emotional temperature and encourage rational decision making.

Perhaps it has dawned on these protesters that Brighton was NOT a good look for their 'most oppressed' narrative.

One would hope so, MrsSnippyPants.

Watching Inspector Morse tonight to get the layout of the land

I won't be at the meeting, but I'll be thinking of all those who are. Thanks from me for attending, and good luck.

This is WPUK's response to statment from Oxford Trans.

I don't know how they find the energy to deal with all this deliberate misrepresentation. But good on them for pulling it apart.

Misogyny in Action; a rebuttal of the statment by Trans Action Oxford womansplaceuk.org/2019/10/24/misogyny-in-action-a-rebuttal-of-statement-by-trans-action-oxford/

Watching Inspector Morse tonight to get the layout of the land

🤣

Wishing everyone a good meeting tonight. Hope that there is minimum disruption.

Echoed. Oddly, both the meetings I've attended in London had no protestors at all. Not sure why. I entered one venue with Julie Bindel (preens at minuscule claim to fame!) so if any protestors had been there I'd have been right in the firing line, but no, not a dicky bird.

I suppose if you live in a trans bubble all you see when you look at the video of young, mostly white people, at least 50% male, screaming and banging on the windows of a venue full of women, many of them older, many of them survivors of male violence, some disabled, some people of colour, is a valiant band of warriors venting righteous anger at a group of evil bigots and making the world safer for their trans 'siblings'.

Fortunately, that's not what the majority of the populace sees. Keep the videos coming.

Saw this on WPUK twitter account:

Please follow #WPUKOxford twitter.com/hashtag/WPUKOxford?src=hash for live tweets from our meeting tonight

twitter.com/Womans_Place_UK/status/1187788045954830338

We're in (arrived just on time!) and all is peaceful this far. Alison Bailey has spoken briefly; Selina Todd is talking and very good