Mayor Ed Holder calls out 'sexism, misogyny, rape culture' of Broughdale house signs
'We will not allow London to be used as a ... poster-child for the ignorant messaging'
London, Ont. Mayor Ed Holder is calling out what he calls messages of "sexism, misogyny, and rape culture" on some of the large signs that hung from houses during Saturday's student street party on Broughdale Avenue.
Holder sent these five tweets just before noon on Tuesday.
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) <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ldnont?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ldnont</a>
—@ldnontmayorYou’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) <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ldnont?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ldnont</a>
—@ldnontmayorWe 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) <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ldnont?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ldnont</a>
—@ldnontmayorI 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) <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ldnont?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ldnont</a>
—@ldnontmayorI 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) <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ldnont?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ldnont</a>
—@ldnontmayorThe tweets are in response to a number of signs seen hanging outside houses on the street near Western University campus, which has for the last three years been the site of a massive unsanctioned street party that on Saturday was attended by about 25,000 people.
The signs, many made from bed sheets, had messages like: "Queens Girls Spit, Western Girls Swallow," "If Your Girl Goes to Western, She's Not Your Girl Anymore" and "Our Roommate is a Virgin Pls Help."
The signs have become a tradition at the now annual fake homecoming party — known as FOCO — which has happened each year since 2016, when the university moved the school's official homecoming to October.
"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," said Holder in one of the tweets.
In a statement issued Tuesday, Western president Alan Shepard addressed the signs.
"It was very upsetting to see a couple of banners in the Broughdale neighbourhood that demonstrated a lack of respect for women," he said. "Casual misogyny, passed off as a joke, is always corrosive."
Street parties a growing problem
Attendance at the unsanctioned street party close to Western's main campus has grown in recent years to the point where police cautioned that it has reached unsafe levels.
In addition to excessive drinking, public urination and other problems, the partiers frequently gather on rooftops on the street, an activity that has led to series injuries in 2018 and 2017.
In a briefing with reporters Monday, Holder said the crowd at Saturday's party was tamer than in 2018 and there were fewer partiers taken to hospital, but he was concerned to see the number of partiers rise by 5,000 from the year before.
The cost of policing the party rose to $300,000 this year, up from $200,000 the year before.
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