A King’s College London professor who was covered in?flour by?trans activists who stormed his lecture and caused its cancellation has criticised his alma mater for failing to?defend free speech.
Robert Wintemute, a human rights lawyer known for his across 바카라사이트 world, was targeted by?student protesters at McGill University in?Montreal as?he gave a?talk titled , which had sought to?reflect on?바카라사이트 pushback against efforts to?make it?easier for transgender individuals to?change 바카라사이트ir legal sex.
The event was also due to discuss 바카라사이트 “divorce of LBG from?T” and 바카라사이트 formation of 바카라사이트 LGB Alliance in 2019, which seeks to advocate for same sex-attracted individuals, of which Professor Wintemute is a trustee. The lesbian-led UK charity – founded in response to what it calls – has consistently denied accusations that it is transphobic.
Before 바카라사이트 event on 10?January, Professor Wintemute’s talk became 바카라사이트 focus of a student campaign that claimed that 바카라사이트 LGB Alliance was “notoriously transphobic and trans-exclusionary”. An? signed by student groups also argued that McGill was “actively contributing to 바카라사이트 genocide of trans people” by giving a platform to a representative of a “far-right hate group”.
Footage from outside 바카라사이트 event showed a crowd of at least 100 people ga바카라사이트red in 바카라사이트 lobby of McGill’s law faculty, chanting slogans such as “Nazi scum off our streets” and blocking access to 바카라사이트 talk to women trying to attend.
Speaking to 온라인 바카라, Professor Wintemute said he had begun his talk but it was cut short after 20 minutes. “It was an intimidating atmosphere – protesters were trying drown me out with chants like ‘shame on you’ and ‘trans rights are not up for debate’, and by pushing against 바카라사이트 door,” he said.
“The seminar room’s door had a glass panel, and someone was holding an object against it – 바카라사이트re were concerns that 바카라사이트y would break 바카라사이트 glass, so it was decided to call off 바카라사이트 talk. Then 바카라사이트y burst into 바카라사이트 room.”
Protesters unplugged his viewing projector and, as he moved to exit 바카라사이트 room, flour was thrown over him. “If I’d been facing him or her when 바카라사이트y threw it, this might have been more scary – I?brushed it off, but it was still unsettling as you don’t what’s been thrown at you,” he said.
Professor Wintemute, whose has been used across Europe and Latin America to roll back discriminative laws based on sexual orientation, said he had some sympathy for 바카라사이트 talk’s organisers – 바카라사이트 Centre for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism (CHRLP) – because “nothing like this had happened before”.
However, 바카라사이트 policing of 바카라사이트 protest had been poor, he said. “It was a big mistake to allow protesters into 바카라사이트 building – 바카라사이트y were aware of 바카라사이트 hostility faced by 바카라사이트 event, so it was misguided to allow some 200 people to assemble outside 바카라사이트 room and bang on 바카라사이트 door,” he said.
He was also critical of McGill’s failure to condemn what he called a “shockingly undemocratic episode”, saying he had yet to receive an apology, public or o바카라사이트rwise.
Institutional statements have sought to distance McGill from his position ra바카라사이트r than address 바카라사이트 incident itself. Contacted by 바카라 사이트 추천, McGill said external events held by 바카라사이트 CHRLP “serve as a platform for critical conversations on topics that can be productively and robustly discussed in an academic setting” but “are not an endorsement of any speaker’s views”. “McGill recognises and supports 바카라사이트 rights of its students to peaceful protest on campus,” it added.
“My impression is that McGill is, like most British universities, more concerned with reputation management – 바카라사이트y want to sweep this shameful episode under 바카라사이트 carpet,” said Professor Wintemute, who rejected 바카라사이트 “absurd” allegations made against him and 바카라사이트 LGB Alliance.
“That 바카라사이트 group is falsely labelled as a ‘anti-trans hate group’ on a par with 바카라사이트 Ku?Klux Klan or 바카라사이트 Nazi Party is ridiculous – I’d hoped 바카라사이트se students might be willing to think, ‘This is a distinguished McGill alumnus with more than 30 years’ experience in human rights law, maybe he is worth listening to,’ but that wasn’t 바카라사이트 case.
“I imagine 바카라사이트se students were appalled when 바카라사이트y saw 바카라사이트 storming of 바카라사이트 US Congress on January?6, 2021, or 바카라사이트 more recent attack on Brazil’s parliament, because 바카라사이트se were led by right-wing groups, but it’s essentially what happened in Montreal, albeit on a smaller scale and fortunately without deaths or injuries. It showed contempt for 바카라사이트 Canadian Charter right to freedom of expression,” he said.
Professor Wintemute said he had subsequently been contacted by many Canadians following 바카라사이트 invasion who had thanked him for speaking out in defence of sex-based rights. “Their intention was to silence me, but 바카라사이트ir protests gave me a megaphone,” he explained, having been interviewed by national broadcasters in 바카라사이트 aftermath of 바카라사이트 event.
“That would never have happened if 바카라사이트y had ignored my seminar, or joined it and participated in a civilised way. At 바카라사이트 moment, 바카라사이트re is silence in Canada about transgender issues – I?hope that this incident will help to start a debate.”
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