Earlier this week, news circulated that a group organization called Return of the Kings planned to hold international meetups, one being at the Arch here in Athens. This group, led by blogger Roosh Valizadeh, is aimed for “heterosexual, masculine men.” Blog posts include pro- rape and other misogynistic views.
Followers planned meetups at 165 locations across 43 countries on the evening of Feb. 6 as instructed by the Return of Kings website. Once a member arrived, he would approach a man asking, “Do you know where I can find a pet shop?” If you are asked this question, the correct answer would be the affirmative: “Yes, it’s right here.”
Needless to say, no one was really happy about these meet-ups. UGA students quickly sprang into action organizing their own protests to take place at the same time and place as the Return of the King. Their peaceful protest would advocate consent and equality for all. Protests like this one were arranged for many of the meetups across the globe.
Evidently, the message got through to Roosh. The meetup was canceled on Wednesday. Roosh explained, “I can no longer guarantee the safety or privacy of the men who want to attend on February 6, especially since most of the meetups can not be made private in time. While I can’t stop men who want to continue meeting in private groups, there will be no official Return Of Kings meetups. The listing page has been scrubbed of all locations. I apologize to all the supporters who are let down by my decision.”
Ta-ta little “kings”!