The women at the centre of the recent Supreme Court ruling on the legal definition of a woman have been subjected to a wave of death threats and abuse following the landmark judgment. The ruling marked the conclusion of a seven-year legal battle brought by the gender-critical campaign group For Women Scotland (FWS) against the Scottish government.
In the aftermath of the judgment, the three women leading the FWS legal campaign disclosed they had been flooded with hateful messages, including a particularly disturbing email sent just hours after the ruling that stated: "You're a group of disgusting murderers and deserve death. God will rip you from your family one day and nobody will mourn you." Other communications expressed disgust and shame directed towards the campaigners. Susan Smith, a spokesperson for FWS, remarked, "It would never occur to us to send messages like this or to call our opponents ugly. But we get this every day." Marion Calder, another FWS campaigner, remarked, "Sadly, it is almost inevitable that women who speak up for our rights will be threatened by angry men. It's a tale as old as the hills. Thankfully, the nastiness is dwarfed by messages of love and support, many of which have brought us to tears." Despite the severity of the threats, the women have not reported them to Police Scotland, who have indicated that they require an official complaint to initiate any investigation.
Meanwhile, tensions escalated over the weekend in Westminster, London, where thousands of trans rights activists gathered to protest the Supreme Court ruling. During the protests, a number of statues in Parliament Square were vandalised, including those of Nelson Mandela, suffragette Millicent Fawcett, South African military leader Jan Smuts, and former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. The statue of Millicent Fawcett was defaced with the phrase "F** rights," while a Pride flag was placed around the statue of Churchill.
The vandalism has prompted a police response, with Scotland Yard actively investigating to identify those responsible for the damage. Chief Superintendent Stuart Bell, who led the policing operation during the protests, stated, "While the police support the public's right to protest, criminality like this is senseless and unacceptable. We are pursuing this." Officers are currently reviewing footage from the events and have pledged to act if any protest materials are found to have breached the law.
In response to the damage, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper condemned the acts, saying, "Criminal damage like this, including to statues of men and women who fought for freedom and justice like Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela and Millicent Fawcett, is disgraceful."
The vandalism has also drawn political criticism, with Conservative justice spokesman Robert Jenrick calling for equal enforcement of the law. He questioned the lack of arrests, stating, "Why have there been no arrests or charges for brazen criminal damage? Until there is proper punishment for criminality like this, people will continue to do it knowing they can get off scot-free."
The ongoing conflict surrounding the Supreme Court ruling and its societal repercussions highlight the deep divisions in public opinion on issues relating to gender identity and rights. Authorities continue to work to restore order and address the aftermath of the protests in central London.
Source: Noah Wire Services