The Starbucks where attendees were instructed to gather. (Photo by Ronnie R)
By Rachel Kurzius and Rachel Sadon
After protests were announced around the world, Daryush “Roosh V” Valizadeh cancelled all 165 events planned for “International Tribal Meetup Day.” That includes the one slated for Dupont Circle, where attendees were to gather outside the Starbucks at 1501 Connecticut Avenue, as first reported by Borderstan. Rumor had it that Roosh V was going to attend in person.
Writing that he could no longer guarantee attendees’ safety or privacy, “especially since most of the meetups can not be made private in time,” Roosh V apologized to anyone disappointed by his decision. He added: “While I can’t stop men who want to continue meeting in private groups, there will be no official Return Of Kings meetups.”
But some have speculated, apparently based on conversations on the now-private forum, that he is still planning to go ahead with the meetups in secret.
“We have people on the inside,” says Matt Kirkland, one of the local protest organizers. “We know for a fact that they’re still trying to have a D.C. meetup.”
So they are still going to show up on Saturday.
“Our main message is that feminism can beat rape culture,” says Faith Ferber, a junior at American University and the co-president of Students Against Sexual Violence. “There’s a debate over whether these meetings are still happening. Either we scared them into not showing up, or they can see that we’re not okay with their message. For us, it’s a win either way. “
MPD is “aware” of the supposedly cancelled meetup, Lieutenant Jerome Merrill wrote in a message to the 2nd District listserv. “Events like these take place all the time in the District of Columbia and the MPD prepares for all of them. We understand that there may be counter protests to this event and we have prepared for that as well,” he said, citing their First Amendment rights.
“A lot of times controversial organizations plan public events just to provoke a response from the community. Please let the MPD handle the situation and remember there are many ways to express yourself in a peaceful manner,” Merrill advised.
At first the counter protest was only going to have male allies, but Ferber says that the media and police attention, as well as the large turnout expected, will hopefully allow women to participate safely. “A lot of women want to speak out or protest, but you do have to consider your safety,” she says. Return of Kings has threatened to doxx or even rape women who protest or write about the meetups, according to Newsweek.
Kirkland adds that while Return of Kings is the primary reason for the counter protest, “it’s important to always stand up against rape culture, especially on Super Bowl weekend. Every other commercial will have a sexist, misogynistic slant.”
An unaffiliated event—Women Drinking Coffee: Sitting In for Safe Spaces—organized by Collective Action for Safe Spaces will still take place as planned at the same Starbucks.
These are flyers that counter protesters will distribute, according to Kirkland and Ferber.
