The Mayor of London is expressing his displeasure with some of the signs that hung from homes on Broughdale Avenue during the "FoCo" party, saying he is troubled by their "messages of sexism, misogyny, and rape culture."
In a series of tweets on Tuesday morning, Ed Holder addressed the signs that said things like, "Our roommate is a virgin pls help," Queens girls spit, Western girls swallow," and "If your girl goes to Western, she's not your girl anymore."
In addition to the size of the Broughdale crowd, what I find equally troubling were messages of sexism, misogyny, and rape culture on full display hanging from the front patios of several houses in the Broughdale area. (1/5) #ldnont
— Ed Holder (@ldnontmayor) October 1, 2019
You’ll remember, London City Council became the first in all of Canada to make the safety of women and girls a strategic priority. We take that commitment seriously. (2/5) #ldnont
— Ed Holder (@ldnontmayor) October 1, 2019
We will not allow young women - be they students, faculty or otherwise – to be disrespected, and we will not allow London to be used as a door-mat, nor a poster-child for the ignorant messaging that was on display over the weekend. (3/5) #ldnont
— Ed Holder (@ldnontmayor) October 1, 2019
I also want to make clear my unequivocal support for the manner in which our first responders conducted themselves on Saturday. Police, Fire, and EMS displayed tremendous professionalism and great restraint. They were firm, but fair. (4/5) #ldnont
— Ed Holder (@ldnontmayor) October 1, 2019
I don’t believe it’s helpful to second guess their interactions with members of the crowd on Saturday. They are experts in their field, and I am extremely proud of their efforts. (5/5) #ldnont
— Ed Holder (@ldnontmayor) October 1, 2019
Holder's sentiments were echoed by Western University president Alan Shepard.
"It was very upsetting to see a couple of banners in the Broughdale neighbourhood that demonstrated a lack of respect for women," he said in a statement issued Tuesday afternoon. "Casual misogyny, passed off as a joke, is always corrosive."
The banners that led Holder and Shepard to speak out are just the latest evidence that more work needs to be done to teach young people about rape culture, according to the executive director of the London Abused Women's Centre.
"It’s disappointing but not surprising given this generation of students has had easy and free access to millions of violent porn sites for most of their lives," Megan Walker said in an email to BlackburnNewsLondon.com "Porn has normalized sexualized violence has generally made consent inconsequential."
It's estimated 25,000 people attended the FoCo party on Broughdale Avenue on Saturday. According to police, no criminal charges were laid. However, there were 14 arrests, 62 tickets issued, and over 2,000 warnings given.
The city's by-law officers issued 10 public nuisance charges. Middlesex London Paramedic Services assessed 82 potential patients, taking 31 to hospital. Fortunately, no serious injuries were reported.
