Student's petition to deny 'legal rape' supporter gains 95,000 signatures
An online petition to deny ‘rape advocate’ Daryush Valizadeh entry into Australia has gained almost 100,000 signatures.
Blair Williams, a student at the Australian National University, started the petition two days ago and in just 48 hours more than 95,000 people have signed her letter addressed to politicians and police officers.
Mr Valizadeh, aka ‘Roosh V’, believes "rape should be legalised on private property" and has planned to "humiliate Australia" at an organised meet up with his supporters next week.
His group, Return of Kings, has planned meetings at Coogee Pavilion, Hyde Park and Brighton Le Sands this Saturday while his Melbourne following will meet in Federation Square.
“We need to send the message that rape is not ok, that supporting a misogynist like Roosh V is not ok and that violence against women is not ok!”
Valizadeh took to Twitter to let the public know of his plans to enter Australia.
“I’ll just take a private boat to Darwin from Indonesia or East Timor. I’ll find a way to enter. I won’t be stopped,” he wrote in a tweet.
Members of Return of the Kings have been instructed on certain ways to greet other members.
Speaking to media Wednesday morning, immigration minister Peter Dutton described Mr Valizadeh as being of unsound mind, adding he would be denied a visa if her were to apply for one.
"I think this is a publicity stunt by somebody who has mental health issues," he told Sky.
"And I think the fact that we are giving publicity to this person, I don't know of any evidence that he has applied for a visa and I think he’s after the attention."
On his blog Valizadeh instructs participants of the meet ups to ask: "Where is the nearest pet shop?" to men in the surrounding areas to figure out if they are also there for the meeting.
If asked the question, the men are told to respond with: "Yes, it's right here," and then introduce themselves to each other.
One gang-rape survivor said the planned meetings by Roosh V and his followers need to be treated as ‘criminal activity’.
Katrina Keshishian, 28, said she can’t believe police haven’t committed to shutting down the events.
“They must cut off supply of this dangerous indoctrination so we can avoid more tragic situations of sexual violence and abuse,” she said.
“As a victim of a gang rape myself, it horrifies me to think that events encouraging men to go out and do what they did to me could be allowed to go ahead. The Baird Government and NSW Police must do more immediately."
Ms Keshishian was 20 when she was gang raped in Sydney’s outer-west in 2008.
After having consensual sex with a man, his two friends then took turns raping her.
"This rape, this gang-rape ruined my life - they took away something from me something that was mine to give, not theirs," Ms Keshishian told ABC’s 7.30.
"I see their faces every day. Every night I go to sleep I have nightmares, every night. It's not like I can just forget.
"It's horrible being a victim of a rape, let alone a gang-rape where there's multiple offenders and I can hear them laughing, in my dreams, every night, laughing at me."
Her compensation claim took six years to process and, in that time, the laws changed – slashing her payout from $50,000 to $15,000.
She took to Change.org to start a petition persuading the Attorney General to change the new laws and she won.
Ms Keshishian’s victory was shared by 24,000 others who also had their compensation cut.
To sign Ms Williams petition click here
News break – February 3
