Maerchentante quite clearly compared the students' statement to the statement of murderous terrorists. That was intentional and it is gross hyperbole.
Is it gross hyperbole though? I am inclined to think of this type of extreme trans activism as a form of domestic terrorism. I certainly think Sussex University should have called on the local PREVENT team months ago to stop the harassment and bullying campaign.
I'm also inclined to think it is right that we start ringing some very loud and very clear alarm bells about these tactics by pro-self-id campaigners. As the statement linked to by Maerchentante makes so unequivocally obvious, even moderates like Kathleen Stock (whose position can be summed up as "sex matters sometimes") are not to be allowed to exercise their human rights freely and without fear of violence or threats. Because she is perceived as part of an oppressor class and anything goes when it comes to fighting the oppressor.
We have already seen this ending in murder in the US where a trans activist extremist murdered a lesbian couple and their son, we have already seen here in the UK vandalism and assault justified by pro-self-id extremists. The aim is to destroy people who are in a position to meaningfully disagree with the doctrine of gender identity in a way that impedes its implementation. The aim is to deter ordinary women from even asking questions about what's going on.
The first time I decided to do just that, I was confronted by a group of extremists, mostly young men in balaclavas, who were completely unhinged, towering over me, screaming obscenities in my face as I walked out of the building (and I mean with their nose barely an inch from mine) when all I did was attend a public meeting as part of a public consultation. I've rarely been so scared, especially since the police warned us not to leave alone as they couldn't guarantee our safety.
You might think it's hyperbole. Considering how that felt for me and the other women at similar meetings, I think we've been far too measured. I think we need to be much much less moderate. In my view, Kathleen Stock's story shows that moderation and appeasement will not work. So let's call this campaign out for what it is: domestic extremism, at times violent extremism. It's a movement that seeks to change laws and influence domestic policy by going outside of the democratic process and seeks to quell any objections by means of harassment, intimidation and bullying and, yes, at times, violence.
If that's hyperbole then I'll proudly wear it. Because I no longer think we can counter this extremism by saying Pretty please, would you stop? Would you consider that I've got rights too?
No. I'm going to say Fuck you and the horse you rode in on. The gloves are off. If you're behaving like extremists, that's what I'll call you.