Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Youtube/KarenStrughan

A misogynist 'pro-rape' group called Return of Kings is planning a bizarre meeting in Kildare

The group argues that ‘gender equality is a myth’.

A ‘NEOMASCULINITY’ GROUP that has argued for rape to be legal on private property is organising a meet-up in Naas, Co Kildare.

The online community is called Return of Kings and is organised by controversial blogger Daryush ’Roosh’ Valizadeh.

The group’s ‘community beliefs’ include arguing that, “gender equality is a myth that has no scientific basis” and that a “woman’s value significantly depends on her fertility and beauty”.

The group also proposes extreme views on rape and domestic violence. It argues that women use rape laws “as a weapon to punish men” and domestic violence laws “as a weapon to control their husbands”.

In a February 2015 blog post entitled How To Stop Rape, Valizdeh argued that the solution is to “make rape legal if done on private property”.

The blog post is regularly cited by opponents as evidence that Return of Kings incites violence against women.

Valizadeh argues that the blog post was “satire”.

A fortnight ago, the Return of Kings website published a list of locations for an ‘International Meetup Day’ planned for this coming Saturday.

The meetup for the community’s ‘tribesmen’ is being organised in 43 countries at 8pm local time in each city.

Among the planned meetings there is one listed for Ireland and eight across the UK.

The Irish meeting is listed for Naas, ‘in front of the main entrance of Naas Courthouse’. As with many of the city listings, it warns that a protest is likely at the meeting.

Details of the meetups also contain bizarre instructions about how the ‘tribesmen’ should identify each other, by asking the question ‘do you know where I can find a pet shop?’.

Whether or not the group has any followers in Ireland is unclear, but the planned meeting for Naas has been described as “abhorrent” by Kildare Sinn Féin councillor Réada Cronin.

“This group advocate that ‘no means no, until it means yes’. This is complemented by a range of misogynist, homophobic, and transphobic comments,”Cronin says, adding that there is ‘no place’ for such a group in Ireland.

Frankly, the entire rationale behind such a group, a group of hate, is abhorrent. They exist solely to propagate the demeaning and harassing of women.

Valizadeh’s apparent plan to attend a meet-up in Sydney has led to calls for him to be banned from entering Australia.

Read: One in 12 female students are victims of rape or attempted rape >

Read: German police accused of covering up the rape of a 13-year-old girl >

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
281 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sarah
    Favourite Sarah
    Report
    Nov 4th 2018, 5:53 PM

    Reminds me of that Olay ad “is it DNA or Olay”. It’s DNA, it will always be DNA some people are just genetically gifted to look younger and prettier for longer and can get the same results with water as someone else would with all the expensive beauty products in the world….

    115
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Veronica
    Favourite Veronica
    Report
    Nov 4th 2018, 7:42 PM

    @Sarah: yep. The only thing that works to prevent you looking older before your time is suncream.

    43
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute James O'Brien
    Favourite James O'Brien
    Report
    Nov 4th 2018, 5:58 PM

    Just stay natural and forget the BS shoved down our throat by these companies and this advertisement piece.

    74
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute David McShite
    Favourite David McShite
    Report
    Nov 4th 2018, 5:52 PM

    Beauty consumers are more educated now than ever according to the Dublin-based aesthetician….
    Please, they are amongst the most vacuous and shallow people on the planet.
    As for an aesthetian, a fancy sounding made up word that Google spellchecker doesn’t recognise to give the impression of professionalism.

    46
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Maggie O'Sullivan
    Favourite Maggie O'Sullivan
    Report
    Nov 4th 2018, 11:34 PM

    My friend text me the other day to say her 13 year old daughter was going to her first disco. The daughter had to get new outfit, new make-up, fake tan, eyebrows done and a new half bra (whatever that is). She ended the text with FFS!!!!!! I replied with the text, we used to go out with a jumper and jeans and we were happy out!!!!! If your beautiful inside, your beautiful outside.

    26
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Diarmuid Hunt
    Favourite Diarmuid Hunt
    Report
    Nov 4th 2018, 6:10 PM

    Correct me if I’m wrong but wouldn’t breathing pure oxygen kill you whether it’s in a pressurised chamber or not?

    12
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mrsuperiority
    Favourite Mrsuperiority
    Report
    Nov 4th 2018, 9:14 PM

    @Diarmuid Hunt: you’re wrong.

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Carla Brennan
    Favourite Carla Brennan
    Report
    Nov 5th 2018, 1:21 AM

    @Diarmuid Hunt: Not at all, I go for 1 hour a week as a treatment for MS, also beneficial for cancer, sports injuries etc. due to its healing properties. Too expensive in South so I go to the North where an actual charity runs it. Long term users of HBO actually do have fabulous skin!

    11
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Fiona Fitzgerald
    Favourite Fiona Fitzgerald
    Report
    Nov 5th 2018, 5:56 PM

    @Carla Brennan: But it doesn’t ‘heal cancer’. I’ve read studies of studies, and they all conclude that while it doesn’t do harm, only some people with breast cancer had a slight improvement in their health. Whether that was due to the hyperbaric sessions or not is debatable. It doesn’t even affect most types of cancer either way. I would like to hear what charity is paying a sports clinic to treat cancer patients, as that sort of wishful fundraising seems a bit of a con.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Watchful Axe
    Favourite Watchful Axe
    Report
    Nov 4th 2018, 8:48 PM

    Jaz, that thumbnail looked like someone dangling off a bridge for a sec.

    1
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.