Vigil for Afghan Women & Girls disrupted by abuse-hurling from a city councillor

[CarobBean72]

So there we were on Saturday, holding a silent vigil in the centre of Norwich in solidarity with Afghan women & girls - a group of us including Jewish & Muslim women and a baby in a pushchair.

And we got a torrent of abuse from… no, not actually the Taliban, but an elected City Councillor, a trans-identified woman, shouting that we were Nazis & “transphobes” (she knows some of us to be Jewish).

Not that the vigil, which lasted all of 30 minutes, was anything about “trans”.

Except in the terms of that meme “It’s transphobic! What was the question?”

So was it more about WHO was on the protest rather than WHAT they were protesting??

If I understand correctly, this person is female but identifies as a man.

Oh. I thought it was an actual bloke and used male pronouns in my Twatter rant.

Either way, them is a vile, thoroughly reprehensible scumbag.

I understand that the councillor is a woman who identifies as a man.

I wonder if all the testosterone shots are why she has behaved in such an aggressively male way.

The charming individual doesn't seem to be here:
https://norwich.greenparty.org.uk/councillors/
Purged?

And OP, sorry you had to put up with that behaviour. Shocking.

So they'd have no problem strolling down the streets of Kabul unaccompanied then.

Hmmm, wonder how that'd turn out.

In a time when the world seems more fractured than it's been for almost a century, we have women of all faiths and none coming together in solidarity and this privileged arse makes it all about them.

Shameful.

He should be ashamed of himself. He's a transwoman i.e. a man.

Charlie Caine seems to be a woman who claims to have a trans-identity.

Anything that doesn't CENTRE transpeople, is 'transphobic.

No, she's a transman ie a woman pretending to be a man.

I think the confusion is partly because some articles and tweets refer to her using male pronouns and also because while men don't pass as women, women pretending to be men do sometimes pass and look male in photos.

Interesting. She was elected in May 2024, according to this.

x.com/NorwichGreens/status/1786689175648956713?t=R9LZRisspbTPhKQTDo3h8g&s=19

She's showing as a councillor on this list - scroll down to Norfolk.

eastern.greenparty.org.uk/councillors/

Of course, Norwich Greens have the equally deranged Alec Catt as deputy leader.

grahamlinehan.substack.com/p/norwich-confidential

Fair point.

Thank you, I did not pick that up. And she should be much more ashamed as a woman, not supporting women in the direst straits.
It also brings up something I have come across in my family. DS quite obviously thought that 'trans women' were women who thought they were men, and got quite cross when I explained, and said 'whatever it means' - though he did seem to imbibe the information.
I hope this particular misconception is disappearing!

I might have found an angle on the abuse of the support Afghan women protest. There is a book out by Rafia Zakaria,Against White Feminism: Notes on Disruption, in which Zakaria blames white feminism for colonialism, the invasion of Afghanistan, imperialism, equating honour killing with partner killing in the US (I marginally agree here, both are a result of patriarchy - the difference is that hardly anyone in the US thinks partner abuse is fine, nowadays, whereas many men and women in some developing countries will support/collude with honour killing - and FGM is carried out by women). Possibly this book/article is the origin of the 'Nazi' insult? It's the sort of thing some intersectional feminists would take on board.
https://emea01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecut.com%2F2021%2F08%2Frafia-zakaria-against-white-feminism-book.html&data=05%7C02%7C%7C8321a87ed5fe4e87114808dd4624c024%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638743845838125539%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=0dWqD%2ByR51G4HOSnEWIa58IZZQ3ivdMl1wD3aSNWWh4%3D&reserved=0
Sorry link is so long.

Oh, I know! I’m an ex member too!

Absolutely tragic what’s happened to them.

Given her conduct previously (including threats to two of our local members, one of whom was there on Saturday & abused by name) the most surprising thing is that Norwich Green Party dont vet their candidates’ social media.

I wasn’t at the annual Commemoration of Murdered Women that Norwich WRN do on White Ribbon Day - reading names of women killed by men in the previous 12 months - but apparently Charlie Caine also shouted abuse (“TERF scum!”) at them then, in 2023.

i think it’s unlikely Charlie’s hatred comes from theories about “White Feminism”.

Apart from us not all being white, she seems more motivated by personal grudges against individuals, & by anything relating to or using the word “women”.

I was shocked and then read 'Green party' and it made sense. It used to be a party about the environment and now it's the one that always seems to come up when very extreme and odd candidate behaviour is mentioned. Like they congregate as a movement against common sense.

A woman, in a relationship with a woman, both of whom identify as gay men.

I was there. I’ve complained to the council, and to the police (harassment) & I’m in the process of complaining to the Green Party.

We’re going to continue holding vigils though!

I’d complain to my local councillor - but it’s Alex Catt!

Or maybe I should anyway?

This is utterly appalling. This woman has the luxury of pretending her sex away, whilst women in Afghanistan literally can’t move or speak. Well done to all of you for holding the vigil - will there be more? And in other areas? I will gladly join one local to me. I’m so glad you are all complaining about the behaviour, this entitled idiot needs to learn a lesson.

Yes, Women's Rights Network are holding more vigils. The next one will be in March. Visit the Afghan page on the WRN website for more info.

Yes, this. I left the Green Party because I didn't feel feminists are welcome there. It was distressing leaving, I'd been active in the past (as in, leafleting and standing as a paper candidate), and I'm left with no party I want to vote for.

There are veey good people there and I hope the rest start to see some sense after appalling scenes like this.