So much for the quiet drink
Last night, after the LGB Alliance Conference, Helen Joyce and I went to the Westminster Arms pub around the corner from the conference centre for a quiet drink. Helen had a glass of wine and I had a gin and tonic.
Before long around 20 protesters turned up, having broken away from the main protest outside of the QEII Conference Centre. We were told they were there because Helen was inside.
Ah well yes of course, two women in a pub talking – we can’t have that. Women must get permission from angry adolescents before they go somewhere, or talk, or think.
They stood facing the entrance to the pub chanting slogans for around 40 minutes. Two policeman provided an escort for us to leave the pub.
Now, we’re not talking corporate predators here, we’re not talking people who market addictive drugs, or tobacco, or oil, or assault rifles. We’re not talking about warmongering politicians, or exploitative bosses, or torturers, or environmental vandals. We’re talking about two feminist women who publicly defend the rights of women. Squawk squawk.
And not just when we are considered TERFs. I used to walk with my husband and dog in the evening. i always took off for a while on my own to take a longer, faster walk for part of the distance. In certain areas, I would be passed by a truck or car with young boys in it, and they would yell at me to get back home to my husband.
I don’t know why kids think they have a right to order women around, especially mature adult, professional women who have surely earned the right to walk on the sidewalk (all women have earned that right). Just kidding. I know why. Our society makes it all right, because women are expected to fulfill certain roles, and doing something on our own is not one of those roles. Thinking for ourselves is not one of those roles.
I’m all for protesting events, but not protesting people going about their daily lives, These people want Helen and Maya to never leave their houses or engage in public life. They want what they constantly lie we want for trans people.
It must have been terrifying.
Well, I’m all for protesting events if the events merit protesting. People have a right to protest events in general but I’m not going to cheer them for protesting events that don’t merit protesting.
Well, that’s not up to us to decide, is it?
Say instead that I’m all for the freedom to protest events. I’m certainly not always going to cheer people for doing so. But what these people are doing is harassment.
It’s not up to us to decide whether we’re going to cheer or not? Sure it is!
Anyway, pettifogging aside, yes, following two women to a pub and then screaming at them is misogynistic harassment.
What I take latsot to mean is that NOBODY, whether we agree with them or not, should protest people going about their daily lives (be it feminists getting a cup of coffee or Brett Kavanaugh and his wife buying groceries). That protests at events (again, whether we agree with them or not) are a different matter. That there are “rules of engagement”, if you will, for protesting, and these people who accosted Joyce and Forstater violated those rules, crossed a line that should not be crossed.
I tend to agree. If the people committing this public abuse were the ones I agreed with, I suspect I would nonetheless feel dismayed and irritated, “We’re better than that”.
@Ophelia:
No! I meant it’s not up to us to decide whether a protest is merited.
How come the police didn’t “escort” the screaming meemies away from the pub entrance, and off to jail if they didn’t disperse? Why did the women have to leave? Why didn’t the people outside disturbing the peace get traspassed from the property and have to leave for being disorderly?
They are policing the wrong people — again.
latters – oh! right.
madders – good question.