"There are so many things that we are unable to do without fear"
- Patsy Stevenson, speaking on LBC after she was arrested for attending Sarah Everard's vigil
In the week I turned 19 (my bones now creak when I get out of bed), for once the headlines were not dominated by the coronavirus pandemic - instead, it was two ex-Royals, a very angry man, and a woman from South London who had the eyes of the world on them.
But first, our moment of the week is this time provided by the Thai Prime Minister, when he decided to spray journalists with hand sanitiser instead of answering questions:
The money I'd pay to see Boris spraying Robert Peston and Laura Kuenssberg...
In the fallout of that interview, Buckingham Palace has been forced to release a statement which expressed concern about the issues raised by Harry and Meghan, but stated that they will address these "privately". When asked about the interview at a public event, Prince William denied an accusation made by the Sussex's, saying "we are very much not a racist family". Someone wants to stay in daddy's good books...
The day after the interview was broadcast, Meghan Markle obsessive Piers Morgan began his assault on the Duchess, criticising her first on Twitter before continuing his tirade on Good Morning Britain. Following an argument with co-presenter Alex Beresford (and some 4,000 Ofcom complaints), Morgan melodramatically stormed out of the studio, never to return, with ITV confirming his permanent departure the next day. He will be sorely missed by racists and bigots across the UK.
Another man who will be missed by the same people is legendary xenophobe Nigel Farage, who announced this week that he is stepping down as leader of Reform UK (formerly the Brexit Party), and is leaving party politics for good. I have no doubt, however, that one whiff of an opportunity to bash immigrants and Nige will be right back in the mix, changing British politics for the worse by inciting hate and bigotry. For all of our sakes, stay retired, Nige.
The other big news story of the week was of course the tragic developments in the Sarah Everard case, as her remains were found, and serving Met police officer Wayne Couzens was arrested on suspicion of her murder. The 33-year-old went missing last week while walking home at night, and her death has sparked an outpouring of grief across the country as serious questions over female safety and male violence, sexual assault, and harassment are raised. #NotAllMen has been trending on Twitter, in response to an explosion of feminist activism on social media, including the shocking statistic that 97% of women have experienced sexual harassment in their lives.
The outrage then escalated just last night after a vigil for Sarah in South London was shut down by police, with some of the mourners arrested aggressively. The whole case has sparked a much-needed debate about gender inequality and male violence against women, which will hopefully result in some positive meaningful change. To protect women, we must educate men.
Up here in Durham, where Sarah attended university, a vigil is planned for tomorrow evening. I, along with many other students and staff, will be attending.
Elsewhere, the Government has been accused this week of 'dragging it's heels' on banning conversion therapy for LGBT people - if you're unsure about what conversion therapy is, I recommend the Stonewall article linked below, and also the film Boy Erased to explain it. This disgusting and abusive 'treatment', which the PM has described as "technically complex to deal with", is forced on thousands every year, with one in twenty LGBT people having been pressured into it, including one in five trans people. The Government has said it will bring forward plans to ban it - this must happen without delay.
In international news, China's legislature unanimously passed legislation this week which means that Hong Kong's electoral candidates will now be vetted by Beijing, as the CCP re-establishes full political control over the region after pro-democracy protests last year. Hopes for an independent democracy in Hong Kong seem to be dwindling, and it looks as though only a new, more reformist leader could change that, given the extent of Beijing's control.
Finally, nominations for this years Grammys were announced this week, with Beyoncé leading the way on nine nominations (despite not releasing any new music), followed by Roddy Ricch, Taylor Swift, and Dua Lipa, who all received six each. After receiving no nominations, The Weeknd said he would boycott all future ceremonies, citing the "secret committees" which snubbed him. All I'll say is, you know the standard of music at the moment is low when Coldplay are nominated for Album of the Year.
Stay tuned this week for the big announcement which is set to revolutionise our little platform. The future is bright...
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