Fans of US misogynist plan meetings in Edinburgh’s Grassmarket & Glasgow’s George Square on Saturday
GLASGOW City Council has denied permission for the use of George Square this Saturday for a ‘tribal meeting’ of misogynists, as threats are made against female protestors online.
‘Roosh V’ – real name Daryush Valizadeh – is a prominent misogynist blogger who has previously argued for the legalisation of rape on private property . His ‘tribal meetings’ of supporters are planned for 43 cities worldwide, including Glasgow and Edinburgh.
At the meet-ups, which are for straight men only, supporters will go on to bars to practice the ‘pick-up’ techniques taught by Valizadeh in his self-published books and blogs, which feature stories of his ‘pick-ups’ around the world and have been called a “thinly-veiled guide to rape”.
A council spokesman said: “This group does not have permission to use George Square for an event and never will. It certainly does not have any right to tell women to not enter the Square. Any threats made against the public are a matter for police.”
However, as CommonSpace has previously reported , the council has the right to refuse permission but not to ban events from taking place in public areas.
Facebook events have appeared for rallies to oppose the meet-ups, despite Valizadeh personally promising to “exact furious retribution upon anyone who challenges [the supporters] on that date” on the FAQ page of the ‘Return of Kings’ website which he founded in 2012.
He urged supporters to ‘neutralize’ feminist protestors “by amassing in high numbers”, and stresses the men should record footage of women who disrupt their meeting, uploading it to Dropbox “so we can tear them up”.
In August 2015 a female protestor threw beer over Valizadeh when he approached her in Montreal. Two days ago [30 January] he posted pictures and videos of the woman, including links to her social media profiles, on his online forum. In the post he wrote: “Found ya bitch!”.
Protests against the groups are planned in both Glasgow and Edinburgh, and an online petition against the gatherings, started by RISE candidate Cat Boyd, attracted over 5,000 signatures in just a few hours.
Edinburgh University Feminist Society have organised a rally in the city’s Grassmarket to coincide with the Roosh V ‘meet-up’, writing on the Facebook page: “They’re meeting in the Grassmarket so join us there for a rally because this man’s hate has to go! If you’re a man or feminist ally then this is your time to shine. For very understandable reasons some women may not feel comfortable coming so we need all of your support. There’s no pressure for anyone to attend if you don’t feel comfortable.”
The group also noted in the statement that the large online following Valizadeh enjoys is known for threatening and harassing feminists and urge caution if coming to the rally.
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Picture courtesy of Reclaim the Night