It was worse than we imagined. Members of the IUSW, X-talk and Feminist Fightback faced verbal abuse and bloody police intimidation, the latter apparently at the instigation of Reclaim The Night stewards. That's not how feminism works, not in any shape or form.
I could cry, I really could, if it weren't for this bit at the end of Feminist Fightback's statement, written yesterday:
"At a time when we face the prospect of a Tory government, threatening to roll out all sorts of further attacks that will have disproportionate effects on women, through public spending cuts and the repressive rhetoric of ‘family values’, it is even more important that we build a movement that can work together on all the issues upon which we agree, and allow room for difference and debate upon those we don’t. We should not be afraid that differences of opinion will block unity in action. In fact it is only by allowing space for diversity of opinion and embracing discussion that our movement will grow."
*grins* NOW we're getting somewhere.
I could cry, I really could, if it weren't for this bit at the end of Feminist Fightback's statement, written yesterday:
"At a time when we face the prospect of a Tory government, threatening to roll out all sorts of further attacks that will have disproportionate effects on women, through public spending cuts and the repressive rhetoric of ‘family values’, it is even more important that we build a movement that can work together on all the issues upon which we agree, and allow room for difference and debate upon those we don’t. We should not be afraid that differences of opinion will block unity in action. In fact it is only by allowing space for diversity of opinion and embracing discussion that our movement will grow."
*grins* NOW we're getting somewhere.
Just to say that I witnessed two women aggresively verbally abusing women in FF / red umbrella group - from what I saw, totally unprovoked - and the police had to step in and talk to one of the women before it escalated.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't believe what i was reading when i saw that. It's disgusting. Personally i didn't see any of the abuse that occurred but i was quite near to the front of the march a long way from the red umbrella group which is probably why.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with that final paragraph from FF.
The trouble arises because Group B thinks it belongs with Group A, but Group A thinks Group B are trying to take over and distort the message. Ask yourself: has this ever happened to you, and which group were you in?
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