club

Security guards colluding with sexual harassment

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At the end of a relatively quiet night in an otherwise subdued bar (Oslo, hackney) a man, on his own, approached our group of three women offering free cocaine and generally hassling us. We tried the usual methods of ignoring/telling him to go away/blocking to no avail. When the security came over we told him and, instead of asking him to leave, winked at us and said ‘everything was OK darling’. This escalated, we tried to complain to the bar staff to be told the security guard was ‘a really nice guy’. We then took it to the head doorman who did absolutely nothing bar assure us ‘we’d have a great time if we came again’. Meanwhile the offending security man was lurking around, doing more winking and smirking. Completely speechless and unclear who to complain to next, when they’re all obviously protecting their resident dealers and allowing the harassment of women to take place on their premises, with no pretence at action being taken!

Irene

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I was at a club with some friends, among which a guy I was dating for a while. At some point, while making out, he groped my ass. I told him to stop because I dont like that, not angrily, after all, we were dating for a while and I guess some couples do that type of thing. However, he did not stop, even though I would take his hand away and tell him to stop every time. ‘I can’t help it, my hand is just attracted to your ass!’ Obviously, I did not date him for much longer after that.

B

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Last night I was in a club and a boy grabbed my wrists and wouldn’t let go until I kissed him. My ex-boyfriend’s friend saw and instead of helping he called me a ‘bitch’ and a ‘Horrible person’. But at least the club played good music, yeah?

Lucy

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I was at a club a couple of weeks ago, and this guy came up to me and told me to smile. I gave him the worst look I had ever made, but he still continued to make the ‘smile’ gesture, until I glared at him and mouthed ‘why’ and he backed off, but didn’t look like he understood in the slightest. Later that night, me and my friend were walking to the bus stop and we were continually harassed, and especially her who was wearing a low-cut top, of which one guy decided that it was okay for him to yell out ‘nice boobs … both of you!!!’ in the middle of Old Street Roundabout. I later said to my friend to cover up just because the harassment was becoming consistent and I didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable, and then she asked me a question that is continuously on my mind ‘they’re the ones being inappropriate, I should not have to cover myself up to stop their idiotic and vulgar behaviour’. So true.

M

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A female friend and I were at a club and she said to me that 4 times in one night guys grabbed her boobs. She said that it was obvious that this was not accidental and they did not just brush past her, but touched her chest.

Kayla

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When I was 18, I was at a club with my flatmates and I guy bought me a drink at the bar. We were talking, and then he reached up my skirt to grab my ass quickly. I looked him dead in the eyes and said “if you touch me again, I’ll break your nose”. He thought I was joking and grabbed my wrist. Feeling threatened, my instinct was to punch him as hard as I could in the nose. The bouncer immediately threw me out of the club, even when I tried to tell him my side of the story, and subsequently banned me from the club. A few months later the club was shut down for violating alcohol licensing laws and condoning rape as a promotional tool.