The culture of cyber-harassment has stealthily been growing on social networks for decades. We hope that the shock wave caused by the recent media coverage of the repeated attacks by the Ligue du LOL will change the situation.
This online community of young media professionals wreaked havoc on Twitter almost 8 years ago: insults, death threats, defamation, pornographic montages, identity theft …
Their posts particularly targeted women, feminists, homosexuals and racialised people. The posts weren’t accidental and they were not joking. They silenced their victims, forced them out and destroyed them. They have been sexist, homophobic, racist and anti-Semitic. A journalist knows how to handle words, he knows the ethics of his professional environment. Their job makes their actions worse. We do not believe in their redemption and we are sceptical of their apologies.
They have caused great damage with their words and we expect strong actions in resonse. Ni Putes Ni Soumises stands beside the victims to denounce and deconstruct those mechanisms of domination that poison our private and professional lives.
“Freedom, Equality and Diversity!”
