A controversial ‘pick up artist’ who believes ‘rape should be legalised on private property’ has organised events in eight UK cities so like-minded men can meet up.
The anti-feminist blogger Daryush Valizadeh, who goes by the name ‘Roosh V’, shares tips on how to ‘pick-up' women on his website – such as “stop asking for permission” – and in his self-published books, which give advice on how to have more sex with women in different countries.
One of Valizadeh’s blog posts in February 2015 was widely condemned for advocating legalising rape in order to force women to take responsibility for their security and events “that are easily preventable”. The post, entitled ‘How to stop rape’, said some women would claim they were assaulted the day after having sex just because they felt “awkward, sad, or guilty after a sexual encounter they didn’t fully remember”.
It also claimed women should be made responsible for ensuring they were not raped, instead of teaching men not to rape. “I propose that we make the violent taking of a woman not punishable by law when done off public grounds,” he wrote.