Men’s rights graffiti on campus causes uproar

Someone wrote London Student underneath and we don’t know why

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Provocative graffiti about men’s rights has sparked outrage on campus.

The apostrophe-lacking doodle, which reads “Mens rights – London Student”, was spotted in the King’s Building unisex toilets by Theology student Nik Jovcic-Sas.

Members of King’s Intersectional Feminist Society have expressed their annoyance, with some saying they feel threatened by the note.

Nik spotted the graffiti and posted it in the IFemSoc group

Nik spotted the writing in one of the unisex cubicles in the King’s building on the second floor. He expressed his initial reaction of shock and disgust to us.

He said: “It was really shocking to see it on campus – even as a man, it’s chilling to think that there are people so strongly opposed to women’s rights at our University.”

Meanwhile, Sophie,  iFemSoc President, told The Tab: “I find MRA groups quite amusing really because they show a fundamental lack of understanding of what feminism, intersectional feminism in particular, truly is.

“They spread false propaganda about the movement and some of their claims are ridiculous to say the least. Feminism is about the destruction of the patriarchy, not a desire to eradicate those who self identify as men.

“It is about the liberation of people from gendered binaries and set roles, which involves being mindful of the pressures men face in a patriarchally constructed society. Some of the most wonderful, supportive feminists I know are self-identifying men.

“But they are cognisant of their own privilege and how it impacts women and those of marginalised genders. This is something that those involved in MRA groups can’t seem to grasp as important.”

Sophie even went so far as to invite the perpetrators along to one of iFemSoc’s events.

She said: “I would encourage the MRA group that is clearly skulking around campus to come to one of our events.

“I wished they had come to our Intersectionality 101 event on Tuesday (which was so well-attended we had people sat on the floor) because I think they might have really learnt something!”

The King’s building

Another student to feel the effects of this act is Lydia Bevan – The LGBT+ rep for iFemSoc– who told us she felt threatened by the forceful message.

She said: “The fact that this is in a unisex bathroom makes it a threatening act. Unisex bathrooms operate so that women, men and people outside the gender binary are all given equal licence to make use.

“This assertion of dominance is a vicious attempt to ensure that these spaces remain imbalanced, and further highlights the necessity for safe spaces across all campuses.”

Mentioned in the written vandalism were the words ‘London Student’, seemingly implicating the London Student newspaper in the men’s rights crusade.

However according to one of the editors of London Student, James Smith, this incident is not related in any way to the thoughts and beliefs of the student newspaper.

He said: “We’re aware of more than one incident now of ‘London Student’ graffiti alongside ‘Men’s Rights’ graffiti in and around the King’s campuses.

“A previous incident, earlier in September, referred to a ‘London Student union’, which doesn’t exist. So far as we’re aware this is nonspecific graffiti that has absolutely nothing to do with London Student newspaper or us an organisation.

“Furthermore, I would like to stress that we have no affiliation whatsoever with the ‘Men’s Rights movement’ and would reiterate that everyone is welcome to write or join us, no matter their gender.”