Activist says protest was 'not peaceful' at WPUK meeting

Simon Fanshawe said a crowd of activists yelled “scum” and “shame” at people attending a meeting of Women’s Place UK (WPUK), a group which “defends women’s rights”.

Campaign group Queer AF Brighton banged on the windows and chanted loudly to disrupt the meeting at the BMECP Centre in Fleet Street, Brighton, on Monday evening.

They said WPUK had “attempted to hold a conference in Brighton to spread more hate speech about our trans and sex worker siblings”.

But Mr Fanshawe denied this and said it was “not a peaceful protest”.

The 62-year-old was one of the founding members of Stonewall alongside Sir Ian McKellen.

It is a charity which “works for acceptance without exception of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender”.

Mr Fanshawe said: “I was at the meeting. When we came in there were security all over the doors.

“Police did not clear a way, we were pushed and shoved as we tried to get in.

“Protesters yelled scum and shame at Lesbian and Gay rights campaigners who have protested for years.

“Police only told them to stop after about an hour or so.

“Banging on the windows is not peaceful protest. I’m just furious.”

Stonewall was started in 1989 to lobby against Section 28, an act which said a local authority “shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality”.

Mr Fanshawe said: “When we campaigned against Section 28 the people telling us we were evil were politicians on the right.

“Here there were feminists going to a meeting to talk about women’s rights.

“Who is attacking them? Trans activists, some of whom are gay themselves.

“How is this happening?”

But Queer AF Brighton denied the accusations.

A representative said: “We deny accusations that our protesters assaulted any attendees. “Everyone was allowed to enter and leave the building as confirmed and facilitated by Sussex Police. We refer also to their statement confirming that ‘there have been no reports of crimes, no damage to the building, no arrests and the participants left the meeting without further incident’.

“This is another example of the way that WPUK distorts trans experiences for their own violent agenda.

“We will not now, nor ever, condone transphobic attacks against our community. There would be no queer (LGBTIA+) rights without trans women of colour.”

After the protests Sussex Police released a statement which said it: “ensured that those wishing to attend were able to gain access” and “protest liaison officers spoke with those gathered outside to facilitate this and to reduce the impact that their protest was having on the meeting and the local community”.

But, after receiving complaints about the event, the force said: “A number of reports have now been received and have been passed to an investigation team at Brighton.”