Meet Ben Froughi, the York student who protested against consent talks

Ben Froughi made national headlines last week after protesting the new sexual consent talks given to freshers at The University of York. In an exclusive interview with The Tab, the third year accounting student explains his actions and also his ideas surrounding consent, rape culture, and feminism.

Froughi stood outside Central Hall lecture theatre handing out leaflets informing freshers that the consent talks were optional, despite it being held directly after the fire safety talk which was compulsory for all new students.

An estimated 25 per cent of students left the first consent talk, although a broken projector has been blamed for the walkout.

The YUSU Womens’ Officers have defended the consent talks, branding them a “success“. You can watch the interview in full here:

Ben Froughi defended his decision to oppose the consent talks, saying: “I doubt that a consent talk has ever prevented an incident of rape.”

Froughi admitted that he wasn’t able to actually attend a consent talk, a timetabling error stated that there would be one after the fire safety talk for second and third year students, but justified his protest due to, “The YUSU Women’s Officers being given a platform that nobody else has.

“Their talk was opt-out rather than opt-in.

“I wanted to make sure that nobody was tricked into going.”

He goes on to admit that there are grey areas when it comes to giving consent, and that there should be consent talks about that grey area.

“With regard to court hearings and ‘no wasn’t given but consent wasn’t given either,’ it’s a grey area. It will probably always be a grey area.”

Froughi said that he doesn’t identify as a Men’s Rights Activist, but that people will and have labelled him as one. “In my views I think I am more of a feminist than many people who claim it.”