Anita Sarkeesian is scheduled to speak at Utah State University tomorrow, Wednesday, October 15th.
However, The Standard Examiner has confirmed that an act of terrorism has been threatened against the school and Sarkeesian specifically, if the presentation is not canceled. The threat was emailed anonymously, allegedly from one of the students on campus. I would like to reiterate that the threat was EMAILED. This is online harassment taking a terrible turn into what I assume everyone can now finally agree is the “real world.”
Threats include, “a Montreal Massacre style attack will be carried out” and the terrorist threatens that if Anita is allowed on campus they will, “write [their] manifesto in her spilled blood.” The writer of the threats blames feminists for ruining their life and blames Anita for representing everything that is wrong with feminism.
Uh, you guys, does this sound familiar to you at all? Sound anything like any other recent killing sprees you may have heard or read about? But nooooo, no misogyny to see here. Nope. Just move along…. /sarcasm
This is not the first time Sarkeesian has been threatened with death for merely speaking at an event she was invited to. IT’S HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES.
Can we officially call this terrorism? Because I am calling it that. Because it’s exactly what this is and what it has been from the beginning. This organized, dedicated, on-going, online harassment is terrorism directed at women in an attempt to silence them. And when women don’t shut-up, the threats escalate.
Will law enforcement please start taking the targeting of women online seriously?
This has to stop.
If you aren’t speaking up about the harassment yet, it’s time to raise your voice.
Click the image to read the threat.
Image of the recent threat taken from Standard Examiner post.