Feminists Set off Rape Alarms in City Hall to Protest Lack of Rape Crisis Funding

Posted from the F-Word...

By Jess McCabe | 15 July 2009, 13:19

Five women snuck attack alarms into City Hall today, and set them off at just after 11.30am to protest London mayor Boris Johnson’s failure to deliver on his election pledge to boost funding for Rape Crisis Centres in the capital, reports the-sauce.org.

The alarms were set off as BNP GLA member Richard Barnbrook stood up to speak.

The protesters were wearing t-shirts painted with the slogan “rape crisis in crisis” in red as they sat in the public gallery of the GLA centre next to former mayor Ken Livingstone.

They linked arms but were eventually escorted out by security, allowing mayor’s question time to continue.

Beth Evans, 22, who has just graduated from King’s College and is a member of Mind the Gap London Student Feminists was among the protesters.

She said: “The total annual funding for Croydon Rape Crisis Centre is £250,000 which is the same amount Boris gets paid by The Daily Telegraph - what he calls ‘chicken feed.’

“The mayor has failed to keep his promise to voters that he would increase support for women who have suffered sexual violence.

Boris was answering questions from Green party GLA member Jenny Jones about the policing of rape in London and the funding of rape crisis centres.

You can see the full story on the-sauce.org.