Leeds Resisters Fighting Against Male Violence

[Socrates11]

Really great piece by Leeds Resisters who are protesting the unmanageable approach to prostitution in the city. Article is clear about the different harms to women, children and residents, so why are Leeds council continuing with this harmful approach to sexual exploitation? This war on women needs a considerable pushback 😕
uncommongroundmedia.com/leeds-resisters-women-protest-against-the-managed-approach/

I feel so sorry for the decent people of Leeds who must hate this shameful situation; the sooner it ends the better.

I suppose it's a "woke" Labour council?

I don't understand how Leeds council ever thought this was a good idea or why they think it would be desirable or popular.

I just googled Holbeck, as my dd starts at Leeds uni in a matter of days, and Holbeck is a huge area, right near the main station and student areas.

Why is there not opposition to this across the city, and indeed, across the country? I wonder how much people are aware of this outside the city and outside of feminist circles?

The Labour councillors love it. Every single one continues to put up their hand and vote for it, despite opposition parties continually calling for it to be scrapped. It costs nearly half a million ponds of taxpayer’s money a year - for cleansing and policing - and has done nothing to help the women, reduce harm or reduce prostitution.

It’s a punter tourist destination and rumour is that LCC are going to open more of these zones in Leeds. East Leeds is what people are hearing. The council will neither confirm nor deny this.

Why is there not opposition to this across the city, and indeed, across the country? I wonder how much people are aware of this outside the city and outside of feminist circles
There is huge opposition to the demilitarised zone (it's what I call it, Its not hyperbole), only problem is it's not currently fashionable to print the letters against, or in any way raise the profile of the many people against it.
My emails go unanswered now, and I'm mad as fuck about the whole thing.
But every time I manage to get one letter printed in a local paper with a fake name, plenty of men reply saying it's what the "girls" wanted do, and men will be men, and prostitution Is the oldest job in the world.
So I reply and say would you be happy if your wife/sister/daughter did it. That never gets printed.

It's going to take a lot more people to be very vocal about this issue. If your out of the area (which I now am) the council just ignore you, the police ignore you, the papers dont care.

It's not those mens daughters/sisters/wives doing it, they dont give a fig.

In fact as this is up near the top and people will see it, please feel free en mass to email
[email protected]

Or contact the council on Facebook
m.facebook.com/Leedscouncil/

Email the mp
[email protected]

Finally also email the sister paper to the above
[email protected]

Thanks, Butterer and Gurufloof.

Bumping to see if anyone else wants to flood council and papers and mp with emails about this stupid, irresponsible, ridiculous in 2020, expensive zone.

@BrollyKnickers

I feel so sorry for the decent people of Leeds who must hate this shameful situation; the sooner it ends the better.

I suppose it's a "woke" Labour council?

It is. And I feel very sorry for the decent people in Leeds.

Do any councils ever propose the Nordic (?) model? Legal to sell/illegal to buy?

It is not perfect, but when it is legal to sell sex, the women can still get help and medical care. The punters get (in Sweden) anything between a large fine and 4 years in prison depending on severity (trafficking, age, etc).

I mean...as opposed to just make it generally legal?

It was proposed by Independent councillor Sarah Field in Leeds. Labour councillors all voted against it.

She was out tonight with the Resisters. Not even her ward. The actual ward Cllrs Don’t give a shit.

Unbelievable, makes you wonder if they are punters...

It has been shown that when men’s names are made public , they usually are more worried about their activities. Perhaps Leeds should try this to stop the demand.

It has been shown that when men’s names are made public , they usually are more worried about their activities. Perhaps Leeds should try this
to stop the demand

Leeds wont even try because its legal in the zone. Never mind residents, never mind the women trafficked, never mind the cost to Leeds residents in general, just never mind.

Excellent suggestions for action thanks, will fire up the laptop shortly & get questioning the local MP. That fantastic speech by Sarah Fields given at Leeds Civic Hall sums up so much about what is going on, here's a link to it
www.peaktrans.org/cllr-sarah-fields-speech-the-launch-of-the-declaration-of-a-sex-based-rights-at-leeds-civic-hall-25-05-19/

Well doing some research before emailing Hilary Benn and the newspapers...Bloody BBC reporting is shockingly bad here, why they are the nation's trusted source I have no idea with crap reporting like this.

The first paragraph claims "A managed red light district in Leeds should stay in place, a report has found."

• Yet no info on what report is called or when it was published.

Only 6% of Holbeck residents responded so not hugely representative sample. How do the authors of the report reach their conclusions based on this response rate?

The BBC report then goes on to say..."However, the majority of residents (of that 'massive' 6%) surveyed said they had witnessed an increase in sex worker and drug use within the zone.

It added "women and those with children that reported feeling least safe walking/travelling through Holbeck and who were the least optimistic in terms of the MA meeting the strategic aims."

Yeah seems like a real success then, NOT. What a crock of shit BBC, what a failure of journalism.

www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-england-leeds-53355765

Report/review Pdf can be found here

pure.hud.ac.uk/en/publications/an-independent-review-of-the-managed-approach-to-onstreet-sex-wor

This news report from last year compared the Leeds approach with the Ipswich approach. Be interesting to see how 'more effective" is measured.
www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/leeds-news/ipswich-prostitution-strategy-more-effective-16664906.amp?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sharebar&__twitter_impression=true

I was at the vigil last night. Right next to a children’s park between 5 and 7 pm. We witnessed a woman on her way home from work been propositioned for sex, she was so upset and said it’s a regular thing. We also witnessed a man screaming at a woman in the street that he wanted his money back and it was so bad she ran into the traffic to get away from him. This is broad daylight next to a playground.

We quite simply need more women and feminists in Leeds to come out and take action because this is a blight on the soul of this country.

We quite simply need more women and feminists in Leeds to come out and take action because this is a blight on the soul of this country

Agreed and bumping. This is soul destroying for the residents. To me it looks bad on Leeds that we have this zone.
I really have come to the end of what I can do for now.
If someone has a brilliant idea to get this in the papers and keep it as an ongoing issue I'd love to hear from you.
My name is mud with papers and MP. Hilary probably just doesn't read my emails any more. Not that I care what that odious man does, but hes meant to represent all the people, not solely the ones who agree with him.

@xxyzz, don't worry, it's a long way away from the student areas and a fair bit away from the city centre. Your DC will be fine.

It's a bloody disgrace to the city, though. But the Council won't listen.

@PelicanDeuce

I was at the vigil last night. Right next to a children’s park between 5 and 7 pm. We witnessed a woman on her way home from work been propositioned for sex, she was so upset and said it’s a regular thing. We also witnessed a man screaming at a woman in the street that he wanted his money back and it was so bad she ran into the traffic to get away from him. This is broad daylight next to a playground.

We quite simply need more women and feminists in Leeds to come out and take action because this is a blight on the soul of this country.

It needs more people to speak out. This is a blight on the whole of Leeds. Sarah Field and Mark Dobson both broke away from Leeds Labour party over this issue (and many others)

Bumping, hoping some more are willing to send emails denouncing this abomination.