Wannabe Restore Society slapped down by York Student body

Students at the University of York, led by the York Student Action Network staged a loud but peaceful demonstration against the ratification of the Restore Britain Society. Whilst the protest remained non-violent, the atmosphere remained tense due to the annoyingly aggressive tactics of said society. The society, whose parent party is led by dickhead-in-chief Rupert Lowe, calls for mass deportations. Protesters stood in human chains to shield their comrades from the society’s irritating members, who spent all afternoon filming students and mocking them. Looks like misogyny is alive and well in the accolades of Lowe.

Dignity vs dickheads at York

The protesters were absolutely spot on. About 60 of them surrounded the student union building, a beautifully diverse crowd whose energy exploded, making the five guys in suits look like relics from a miserable past. This Restore lot stood there with sneers on their slapped-arse faces. Meanwhile, the protesters were full of life, passion, solidarity and a do-not-fuck-with-us attitude. It was a stunning sight to see a group that actually likes the true future of this country. They stood tall against a bunch of suited dickheads who want to drag us back to some shitty dark age that these guys seem to crave.

What was the most impressive was the sheer discipline of these people. As the university staff watched on, some laughing, these Restore lads were using the same provocative tactics of far-right auditors. One of them even looked a like a Poundshop knock-off of Young Bob. But despite these few dickheads trying to repeatedly bum-rush the demo, a wall of masked women stood vigil and stopped them. Funny though, how these far-right types always like to bully women, and that seems to stretch across all age-ranges.

Mockery and misogyny dressed in shit suits

The Restore Britain Society showed up in pinstripes and aviators, like weird incel caricatures. I think some part of them wanted to portrait an air of being academically elite, but their behaviour told a different story. Looming and jeering over a line of  women who stood as a human shield isn’t a good luck guys. It doesn’t make you look brave or edgy, it makes you look pathetic. One member was caught on camera sneering that the protesters “can only afford one megaphone”. Guys, you didn’t even turn up with one, so sit down. This classist bullshit from a tiny minority of the student body that think a bank balance determines your right to be heard is wild.

This lot aren’t auditors, but they love the tactics. They stood with phones held high, trying to film the faces of the women protecting the crowd. Hoping for that viral ‘gotcha’ reaction from protesters, when all they did was make themselves look ridiculous. They want to play the victim card, holler about free speech. Restore claim they face “harassment, bullying and isolation” to the Student Union, but the reality is the opposite. They are the ones creating the hostile environment, using their physical presence to intimidate women and trans people who refuse to back down. And the university staff did fuck all about it. The security were there for no reason at all it seems.

Staff complacency at York is a stab in the back

While students were left to protect one another, the behaviour of some of the university staff was pathetic. They were there, there was a presence, but to say they were useless is an understatement. Several of them were even seen laughing with members of the Restore Society. How the hell is it okay for university staff to be seen having a giggle with a group that advocates for mass deportations of Black and Brown people? This isn’t a lapse in judgement, it’s a total betrayal of the university’s duty of care.

The party that these students represent isn’t just right-wing. It’s a hard line offshoot of Reform UK that wants 200,000 removals on day one. When staff are seen joking with these dickheads, it sends a message to the international members of the university to eff off, basically. That their safety is nothing but a joke. And they make up 28% of the York University student body.

When this Restore rabble are advocating for the ban of Halal and Kosher foods to “restore Christian values” what does that say to Jewish and Muslim students? That they’re not welcome. And to see staff laughing with them is a total betrayal. Almost as bad as them allowing these goons to intimidate women and bum-rush the crowd. Come on guys, get a grip.

Will the SU draw the line?

Kaitlyn Beattie-Zarb, the York SU activities officer now has a choice to make. Having previously pledged to “call out any attempt to undermine dignity, respect and safety,” this seems like it will be an easy choice for her, surely? When you have a group calling for mass deportations, banning of literal food and who go around intimidating others, it seems to me like this will be an easy decision.

And ratifying this group would be an admission that the SU cares more about the ‘rights’ of bullies than the safety of students. And trust me when I say, if this society is upheld, the protesters will continue to organise against them. Freedom of speech will never be freedom from consequence, and those masked up students absolutely meant business.

The women who held the line yesterday showed more integrity than the university staff who played nice with radicals. These groups, whether they come under the banner of Reform, Restore or Britain First, all use the same shitty playbook of intimidation and misogyny. It’s time for the University of York to stop laughing along and start keeping it’s students safe. And if the Restore Society’s freedom of speech involves Instagram posts like this, the right choice becomes ever more clear.

If the SU validates this intimidation as ‘free speech,’ what’s to stop this Restore Society targeting students in their classrooms next? And the weird appearance of swastikas all over the University also needs investigating. Especially when the culprit hasn’t exactly covered their tracks.

So, York University… what will it be?

Image via AntifaBot

By Antifabot

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