A Female's perspective...

Retune said:
www.theguardian.com

What happened to me was nothing – the nothing women know all too well | Marina Hyde

At 4.56pm on a spring afternoon, countless women in the UK were being harassed on the street. It turns out I was one of them, says Guardian columnist Marina Hyde
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com
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As a kid at school I remember being followed home by another kid. Eventually he caught up and asked "what's it like, being one of the queero's?"
"What?"
"You're a queero. What's it like?"
"I'm not a queero"
"Yes you are"
Etc. There was mild concern of assault, and although he was on his own and not especially big, 'mates' might appear at any time (use a small 'batey' kid to provoke, then bring on the big lads with an excuse to 'beat up the bully') and things could become 'difficult'. This happened 2 or 3 times with the same kid following me.

I was probably 11 or 12 at this time, so around 1972 or '73, and if you were queer then you were mentally deficient, rather than of some alternate variation of sexual preference or gender determination in that cultural background.

Why post this?

Growing up in a city, these kinds of verbal 'assault' were part of everyday life, male or female. If you were caught alone by a gang - happened once, I got away with cigarette burns on hands but nothing worse - then it could get very difficult indeed. Until the time we moved to rural Oxfordshire in 1990, physical harm was always a possibility. Some young adult friends were beaten up for no reason at all while walking along a main road. I knew of at least 2 sexual assaults on males by strangers, one of which caused the victim to self-immolate a couple of years later.

In a way the author was right - it was nothing unusual. These events aren't unique to women, although they'll get a lot more recognition when they happen to a woman than a man. There are always going to be nut-jobs, perves, creeps, weirdos and the plain downright unpleasant around. What I'd like to know is how protesting and all the stuff that goes with it will actually make any difference except to make the generally decent, careful, law-abiding & respectful individuals live with a little more fear of being falsely accused of something by one of the protesty types (and yes, that absolutely happens too).
 
j crossley said:
Whilst I agree with the majority of what the former police officer says in your quote, and, as I have said previously in some of my posts on this subject, that we don’t know the full story of what actually happened at the vigil on Clapham Common, we only what the various parties want to tell us, I do believe that the police handled the situation badly. The reason I believe that the vigil should have been allowed to continue uninterrupted is due to the exceptional and extenuating circumstances which led to the vigil in the first place. The murder of a young woman by a Metropolitan Police Officer.
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It was a murder by someone who happened to be a Metropolitan Police Officer, that distinction has to be made clear.

j crossley said:
If there were agitators at the vigil, using the vigil as a vehicle to pursue their own agendas, then that is absolutely disgusting. However, just because someone is trying to provoke the police does not mean that the police have to react to that provocation.

DISCRETION IS THE BETTER PART OF VALOUR.
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Easy to say when you weren't there. You don't know the level of provocation. The police will be very sensitive to the fact that this murder was carried out by one of their own. If the people involved were chanting to this effect and pushing/shoving officers, including female ones, that's going to get a reaction no matter how disciplined you think the officers should be.
 
I wouldn't mind betting that the usual hardcore of activists were there most of whom are well known to the police.
Any reason for a bit of agro, Extinction Rebellion, BLM, Animal Rights, Reclaim the Streets, Anti Lockdown, Brexit for and anti.
You name it they will be there right back to the poll tax riots and lots of other besides.

Main point is nobody should have been there and that includes photo op royal earlier in the day.
Was that an essential journey for her and the no doubt large in number accompanying security entourage?

I don't understand why the police don't turn people back at the nearby tube stations.
Most arrive that way and its better to stop the crowd growing to a point where its hard to control.
 
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jonbeeza said:
At school we had a careers officer who took classes with us, we were given advice on what occupations we could go for. The lads were given advice on car mechanics and that sort of stuff, while the girls where given hairdressing and such like options.

I remember I saw a job advertised in a Cafe, I went along to enquire about the job. The female owner said " I don't want any men working here". Yet it was a cafe for truckers, near the docks. I did not kick up a fuss, I don't there was any such thing as sex discrimination way back then, no there would not have been.
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In my time as an IT sales manager, I always preferred to have women in my team than men. In general, they are more conscientious, always look smart, and women in their late 20's to late 30's have a bigger impact selling to middle aged men. TI know that sounds awful, but it's a fact, most of them can hold the attention of a male client longer. However, I have noticed how nasty they can be towards each other when you have two of them competing for top spot in the team. Men will generally face it out, and have a few words, handling two very intelligent, attractive, and successful women in a team of six is bloody hard work - but worth it.

I remember I had to move one of them to sit directly opposite me, at her request. She was plagued by guys coming over and talking to her while she was trying to work. Putting her opposite the boss worked, and it was even better when I left her in charge when I went on leave :ROFLMAO:
 
Bobsyeruncle said:
I agree.
If as the ex senior police officer stated that the vigil was hijacked by extremists and activists, then the press should be showing images of these people, and giving a more accurate account of what is happening.....
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I couldnt agree more, however this doesnt make great headlines.
 
j crossley said:
Whilst I agree with the majority of what the former police officer says in your quote, and, as I have said previously in some of my posts on this subject, that we don’t know the full story of what actually happened at the vigil on Clapham Common, we only what the various parties want to tell us, I do believe that the police handled the situation badly. The reason I believe that the vigil should have been allowed to continue uninterrupted is due to the exceptional and extenuating circumstances which led to the vigil in the first place. The murder of a young woman by a Metropolitan Police Officer.

If there were agitators at the vigil, using the vigil as a vehicle to pursue their own agendas, then that is absolutely disgusting. However, just because someone is trying to provoke the police does not mean that the police have to react to that provocation.

DISCRETION IS THE BETTER PART OF VALOUR.
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The Police will probably want to make it clear, that the young woman was not murdered by a policeman, rather she was murdered by a man who happened to be a Policeman.
 
j crossley said:
Whilst I agree with the majority of what the former police officer says in your quote, and, as I have said previously in some of my posts on this subject, that we don’t know the full story of what actually happened at the vigil on Clapham Common, we only what the various parties want to tell us, I do believe that the police handled the situation badly. The reason I believe that the vigil should have been allowed to continue uninterrupted is due to the exceptional and extenuating circumstances which led to the vigil in the first place. The murder of a young woman by a Metropolitan Police Officer.

If there were agitators at the vigil, using the vigil as a vehicle to pursue their own agendas, then that is absolutely disgusting. However, just because someone is trying to provoke the police does not mean that the police have to react to that provocation.

DISCRETION IS THE BETTER PART OF VALOUR.
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Regardless of what the gathering was for, under the govt regulations it was illegal and the people should not have turned up. As it was they did and the police were quite right to attend. The police were calm and not causing trouble even when the public were chanting at them. But it looks like there were people there just to cause trouble and I would assume one of them did something to warrant being arrested. The police quite rightly made arrests.
 
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tijuana taxi said:
Main point is nobody should have been there and that includes photo op royal earlier in the day.
Was that an essential journey for her and the no doubt large in number accompanying security entourage?
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A 5 minute visit to leave flowers and a message out of respect would be acceptable. Fergie just had 2 security with her.
 
Just down the road from us in Liverpool, and the vigil they held there was done much better. They sat on steps at the old church, this was where the City Centre starts. They managed to do it while observing social distancing.
 
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nilagin said:
A 5 minute visit to leave flowers and a message out of respect would be acceptable. Fergie just had 2 security with her.
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I'm talking about the Duchess of Cambridge, pretty sure she comes with a few more than two
 
I am not saying it was right or wrong what the women did, but it certainly made us all take notice. It certainly has gotten everyone talking, even me and the missus have been discussing it at length.
 
dcash29 said:
I think you are totally wrong
Could it be that the BLM protests were a hot potato nobody wanted to touch and since those disgraceful acts briefings have taken place ?
Its online planning that needs to be intercepted and dealt with swiftly.
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Such as the numerous mass, sexual abuse/grooming cases, carried out by one minority sector of the country, where people in charge of the police/social services/politicians looked the other way or blamed the victims? Where brave politicians such as Labour MP Sarah Champion were forced to stand down from the shadow cabinet for speaking the truth?
Look what happened when people kept quiet about Jimmy Saville.
When police and politicians start picking on the little people, instead of acting against popular movements or "protected" minorities who break the law, then that is when they lose the respect and trust of the majority.
 
Marc said:
It was a murder by someone who happened to be a Metropolitan Police Officer, that distinction has to be made clear.
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Exactly (y)
 
tijuana taxi said:
I'm talking about the Duchess of Cambridge, pretty sure she comes with a few more than two
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So am I and the press reported she was accompanied by just 2. If there were indeed more they had remained at a distance.
 
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Not sure she's had 10,000 men yet.
 
First heard it shortly after the toe job she was filmed receiving.
 
Retune said:
Good content and performance, but it would have been better if it didn't double as a test for photosensitive epilepsy.
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Thinking about the British royalty I suppose one good thing is they are arguably slightly more palatable than some of the royalty in the US. I don't mean Harry and Megan, I mean the horror shows they've had in the White House from time to time.
 
Retune said:
Good content and performance, but it would have been better if it didn't double as a test for photosensitive epilepsy.
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I could feel my eyes going, I think I would have ended up with a headache. Could not watch it, unfortunately.
 
woof woof said:
Thinking about the British royalty I suppose one good thing is they are arguably slightly more palatable than some of the royalty in the US. I don't mean Harry and Megan, I mean the horror shows they've had in the White House from time to time.
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I'm not sure what the original quote is, but ' the US is a republic with the form of a monarchy, while the UK is a monarchy with the form of a republic.' The US President has, for a period, many of the powers of a king, while our own monarch pretty much has to rubber-stamp everything put on her desk, like it or not
 
That makes sense.

I'd take ours, faults and all over the Clintons, Trump and who they've got now. I forget his name. I'm getting old too.

Prince Philip's bad taste jokes are worth the price alone.
 
Fuji Dave said:
Damned if they do and sadly damned if they don't. So very true what the officer said, my old mate told me that Yvonne Fletcher was another great person who worked and died in the force and he is an ex Met officer.
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Bobsyeruncle said:
I agree.
If as the ex senior police officer stated that the vigil was hijacked by extremists and activists, then the press should be showing images of these people, and giving a more accurate account of what is happening.....
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It seems there has been a met officer that has been removed from the investigation, he/she had been sharing inappropriate images of Sarah Everard.
 
tijuana taxi said:
Just a nasty old bigot who abuses a position of power and is a disgrace to this country.
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I wonder when he and the Queen are gone, will the Royal family change? It may have done, had Harry and Meghan stayed within the family.
 
jonbeeza said:
It seems there has been a met officer that has been removed from the investigation, he/she had been sharing inappropriate images of Sarah Everard.
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It seems the officer who shared the images was a probationary police constable, and was an acting cordon officer supporting the search area.
How could the officer manage to get the graphic images, without being seen? He/she must have done it sneakily. They then shared it on social media with other officers, some of whom reported it.
 
tijuana taxi said:
Perhaps bully would be a better description, vile old git who thinks its funny to abuse and belittle people.
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He probably thinks he is doing nothing wrong. He is from a time when people could speak to others like that, and it was seen as the norm.
His kind of views and thoughts belong to the old days, and he should leave them there.
 
jonbeeza said:
It seems the officer who shared the images was a probationary police constable, and was an acting cordon officer supporting the search area.
How could the officer manage to get the graphic images, without being seen? He/she must have done it sneakily. They then shared it on social media with other officers, some of whom reported it.
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It wasn't photographs of the victim or from the crime scene.

"The Met said the graphic does not contain photographic images, no images of Ms Everard, nor any other material obtained from or related to the investigation into her murder"
 
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