A “Let Women Speak” rally in Brighton, England, on Sunday devolved into chaos after pro-transgender activists descended on the event.
The rally had been scheduled to hear remarks from Kellie-Jay Keen, who founded the group Standing For Women.
Earlier this month, the group Reclaim Pride Brighton had tweeted a call for protests at the event, citing Keen by her alternative name: “It is our duty to fight fascism when it attempts to enter our communities. Fight Posie Parker by any means you see fit. Love, rage and solidarity.”
Video shot during the event showed two pro-transgender activists telling a man — in the middle of a long harrangue directed at him — that he was raising a “little fascist.”
In Brighton today two female “trans” activists openly swear at and abuse a new born baby and his father. Accusing the father of
“Raising a little fascist”
The #letwomenspeak rally was pelted with smoke bombs and several arrests were made as women voiced their concerns. pic.twitter.com/kM6w23yduk
— Inc.Monocle (@IncMonocle) September 18, 2022
Multiple fights broke out at the event, according to the Daily Mail.
Author J.K. Rowling lashed out at the protesters on Twitter.
Is a protest the right place to bring a baby?
‘”I see the Be Kind brigade are once more hiding behind their black masks, throwing smoke bombs, screaming ‘scum’ at women speaking up for their sex-based rights,” Rowling tweeted.
‘I see the #BeKind brigade are once more hiding behind their black masks, screaming “scum” at women speaking up for their sex-based rights.”@jk_rowling had condemned a masked pro trans mob after violent clashes in Brighton at the ‘Let Women Speak’ event.https://t.co/3rJnTjA77C
— The Free Speech Union (@SpeechUnion) September 19, 2022
Smoke bombs were let off in the crowd. Sussex police said three people were arrested, according to The Argus.
“A woman and two men were arrested; one on suspicion of assault, one on suspicion of obstructing a police officer and one on suspicion of sexual assault by touching,” a police representative said.
Arrests at pro trans protest for “Let Women speak” in Brighton. @standingforxx Licensing@newsflare.com pic.twitter.com/9dNoQVTiao
— Onemanreports (@onemanreports) September 19, 2022
In a video promoting the event, Keen said Brighton was “awash with … nasty, pernicious, woman-hating Pride flags everywhere,” according to The Argus.
“If we call Brighton the capital of lesbian and gay people in the U.K., they have to be the victims of this absolutely vile gay conversion therapy known as transgenderism,” she said.
As trans activists tried shouting “trans women are women,” some on the other side shouted over them: “MEN!” #Brighton #LetWomenSpeak #StandingForWomen pic.twitter.com/P9y4fuDg4y
— Andy Ngô ?️? (@MrAndyNgo) September 18, 2022
Keen told the Daily Mail, “It’s a very effective campaign that we are supposed to believe that men that want to call themselves women are the most vulnerable group in society”
“When I was a bit younger, I could walk to Tesco with my children, and some man would tell me what they thought of my appearance. We as women sadly have become used to these regular infringements. I think the whole identity politics issue is a poison,” she said.
