ACTIVISTS staged picket outside the Green Party’s constituency office in Limerick on Friday 3 September on the issue of Brian Leddin TD’s involvement in a Whatsapp group replete with misogyny.
At 4pm on Friday 3 September, a group of activists held a picket organised by ROSA Socialist Feminist Movement, outside the Green Party Constituency Office on Mary St in Limerick.
Steph Lacey, an activist with ROSA Socialist Feminist Movement, explained why she felt the protest was necessary: “Brian Leddin TD is complicit in a culture of gender violence. His apology has been shown to be hollow given that he was quoted in the Limerick Leader on Wednesday trying to contextualise and justify his sexist remarks. Brian Leddin TD has no remorse and is utterly ignorant on issues of sexism, misogyny and gender violence.
“The Green Party are the epitome of ‘woke capitalists’ – with an environmental and progressive veneer, they are part of a government continuing to cruelly turn away women and children from refuges due to chronic underfunding, this at a time when the shadow pandemic of gender violence has soared under Covid. The Green Party claims to care. How can they justify having a TD who has actively normalised misogyny? The Green Party must act – Leddin has to go!”
Speaking outside Green Party Headquarters in Dublin at another protest on this issue today, Ruth Coppinger, former TD and activist with ROSA Socialist Feminist Movement said that “Deputy Leddin’s belittling of a female public representative spoke volumes about his attitude to women and that it was hardly surprising no women TDs represented Limerick. Toxic sexist Whatsapp ‘banter’, not only is unbecoming of a public representative, but is part and parcel of the type of sexism that feeds into a culture of gender violence. It is galling and unacceptable that the Green Party have stated that there will be no sanctions against Leddin.
“ROSA activists have received fines for socially distanced, masked symbolic protests earlier this year to call for action on gender violence. Meanwhile Brian Leddin TD was up to his neck in misogynistic ‘locker room talk’ and receives no sanctions. How low can Green TDs go?”
Caitríona Ní Chatháin, another activist with ROSA Socialist Feminist Movement stated that “From #MeToo, to Ni Una Menos, to the abortion rights struggle in Ireland and around the world, women and gender non conforming people are asserting their right to bodily autonomy and freedom from all forms of sexism and gender violence. This government has continued the chronic underfunding of refuges, of counselling and support for survivors of abuse and sexual violence, and now a Green TD, chair of a Dail committee will receive no sanction for being up to his neck in misogyny. We won’t greenwash sexism. The Greens must act – Leddin must go – and ROSA will be part of building a movement to end all forms of gender violence, sexual violence and victim blaming starting with calling for a major demonstration on 25 November, for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, alongside our siblings around the world.”
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