A man (shown), previously named Joe Brennan, is accused of physically attacking writer and women’s rights campaigner Julie Bindel.

UK — Edinburgh, Scotland. A male individual who identifies as a woman has been accused of physically attacking a prominent women’s rights campaigner. The accused, whose extremist transgender activism entails advocating violence against women who reject gender identity ideology, is now facing charges of threatening and abusive behavior.

On Wednesday June 5, Julie Bindel, writer and co-founder of Justice for Women, participated in the event “Women’s Sex-Based Rights: what does (and should) the future hold?”

Feminist academics and activists engaged in discourse on how a shift in legal language from naming biological sex to naming self-proclaimed gender identity threatens the human rights of women as enshrined in the 1979 United Nations Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). The discussion panel was hosted by the Institute for Education, Teaching and Leadership at the University of Edinburgh.

Julie Bindel said she was attacked by a man after an event discussing the rights of women.

The university’s Staff Pride Network condemned the women’s rights panel, claiming it put transgender staff and students “at risk of physical and psychological harm.” When the university refused to cancel the talk, the committee resigned. Liberation, a trans advocacy student group at the university, claimed the panel made the academic institution “unwelcoming for trans people.” Liberation gathered outside the event in protest.

I took part in a really brilliant event tonight at Edinburgh University, speaking about women’s sex-based rights. I was physically attacked as I left the event at the airport. This kind of intimidation has to stop. The person that attacked me was a man. — Julie Bindel (@bindelj) June 5, 2019

Ms Bindel and law professor Rosa Freedman left the event together a little before its scheduled 7 pm ending in order to catch a flight. By then, protesters had dispersed. According to Ms Bindel, a man wearing a “long skirt” was lurking outside.

The “protest outside earlier … had gone, so he was obviously waiting for me,” Ms Bindel reported. He screamed, “I was scum, I was a c***, I was filth,” she said. “He was shouting and ranting and raving, ‘you’re a f****** c***, you’re a f****** b****, a f****** TERF.”

Mr Brennan lunged at Ms Bindel with raised fists, and a security guard restrained him, she later recounted. Ms Bindel then took out her phone to film him in order “to get some evidence,” in case he presented a “danger to other speakers or delegates.” The man became so enraged at the prospect of being filmed that it took three security guards to drag him away as he resumed his attempts to physically harm her, she said.

Ms Bindel, who was left shaken by the incident, explained that it differed from past protests staged by transgender activists at her events, because “I know that they have intended no physical harm and I’ve not flinched or been afraid. This was altogether different. He intended to beat me up.”

Ms Freedman said she had witnessed what she describes as a violent attack on Ms Bindel.

A spokesperson for the University of Edinburgh issued a statement: “An incident occurred after last night’s event. Our security staff acted swiftly and professionally to ensure that no one was harmed and the event concluded peacefully.”

Joe Brennan, the film critic and transgender activist accused of the attack, denies that he raised a fist, though he concedes that he had “lost my s— at Julie Bindel.” The man, who has a long history of openly rallying fellow activists to physically harm women who express disagreement with gender identity ideology, insists he only “attempted to push past security so I could speak face to face with a person who has caused great harm to trans people across this country.”

Gallery of threats and rallying calls for attacks against women by transgender activist Joe Brennan, who often comments online under username ‘Town Tattle’

The man, who now calls himself Cathy Brennan, has been accused by feminist Cathy Brennan of Baltimore, Maryland, US of taking her name as part of his years-long campaign of personal harassment and stalking.

I woke up this morning to a dozen messages asking me if I beat someone up. There’s a man @towntattle who uses my name (on the right). I’m the pudgy butch on the left who loves flowers. This man picked my name years ago to harass me. You can stop calling him my name anytime. Catherine M. Brennan, Twitter (@FinTechEsq) June 6, 2019

Diane Abbott, a Member of Parliament since 1987, tweeted to Ms Bindel, “Horrible. Hope you are now OK.” Transgender activists responded with outrage at the Labour MP for her display of concern for Ms Bindel’s health.

Thanks Julie — Diane Abbott MP (@HackneyAbbott) June 6, 2019

Pink News, a transgender advocacy magazine, posted an article and tweets that critics accuse of being dismissive of the physical violence Ms Bindel says she was subjected to.

So if no one is physically harmed, it doesn't count? Where does this leave misgendering? Or do pronouns have literal sharp pointy teeth they repeatedly bite one with? https://t.co/kRCW8lqCjX — forwomen.scot (@ForwomenScot) June 7, 2019

Read more on this story Feminist speaker Julie Bindel ‘attacked by transgender person’ at Edinburgh University after talk

The Scotsman

A leading British feminist, who campaigns against violence towards women, has claimed that she was attacked in Edinburgh last night by a transgender person. Feminist writer Julie Bindel ‘attacked’ after speaking at Edinburgh University

Edinburgh Live

Prominent feminist writer Julie Bindel has claimed she was ‘attacked’ in Edinburgh yesterday (5 June).