Police have arrested one person at a protest outside an on-campus screening of The Red Pill, a documentary about the Men’s Rights Activist (MRA) movement which has been banned in various cinemas around the world.

Protest against The Red Pill screening at USyd, scuffle breaks out between protesters #USyd @honi_soit pic.twitter.com/7WAo3bYXX7 — maani (@maanitruu) May 11, 2017



University of Sydney Union (USU) clubs BROSoc, Students for Liberty and the Conservative Club organised the event, though the USU withdrew funding and resources from the film following complaints from other students.

The Board said, “We believe that there is the distinct possibility that the planned screening of this documentary would be discriminatory against women, and has the capacity to intimidate and physically threaten women on campus”.

Student political group Fascist Free USyd organised the protest, which attracted over 50 students.

University of Sydney Students’ Representative Council (SRC) Wom*n’s Officer, Katie Thorburn, told Honi, “If BroSoc, the Libertarian Club and the Conservatives were so interested in feminism, and they’re willing to put so much money behind those A3 posters and stickers that they put up around campus and in women’s bathrooms, why have they never approached the Wom*n’s Collective to help with the sexual assault campaign?”

“I find it interesting that the University says they have a zero-tolerance approach to sexual assault and yet are supporting pro-rape ideology by housing the screening in a lecture hall.”

Protesters chanted, “Not MRAs and not the state, women will decide our fate,” and “racist, sexist, anti-queer, bigots are not welcome here”.

Multiple physical scuffs broke out between the protesters and organisers and supporters of the event.

Around 20 police were present, and Honi overheard one saying that the riot police were also on campus.

Once viewers were inside the lecture theatre where the film is being screened, one organiser, Renee Gorman, addressed them and said, “According to USU this film threatens violence to women … I don’t know about you girls but I put my big girl panties for this one”.

She also called the protesters “a bunch of crazies”.

The bizarre scenes at one point divulged into Israel–Palestine relations, with the protesters chanting “Free Palestine” as two men held up a related flag, before one protester attempted to grab it, causing a scuffle.