For the Press
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Quotes from supporters of the Stop The Arrests campaign
Jenny Jones, Green Party, London Assembly Member - ’The Met seems to be slipping back in its understanding of civil liberties generally, but especially in its treatment of some of the most vulnerable people in our society. London’s sex workers need protection, not persecution.’
Jane Ayres, Outreach and Praed Street Project Manager -’We are a clinical service commissioned to support sex workers to engage in sexual health over the last 27 years. Sex workers are often a hidden population and a substantial part of our work is to reach women in working flats to tell them about clinic, offer onsite sexual health checks within the working flat and to build a relationship where they feel less intimidated. Over the last few years increased legislation and subsequent police visits to working flats have disrupted our outreach work and compromised our ability to deliver clinical care to our client group. Because of premises being closed down we have simply lost contact with numerous longstanding venues where we had previously managed to engage with many new sex workers, some of whom are potentially vulnerable and isolated. This has destroyed a chain of healthcare that has taken many years to build up. Additionally it has long been established that sex workers massively under-report rape and sexual assault because of the huge complexities involved in reporting to the police. These aggressive policing campaigns further undermine this problem as they reinforce a mistrust of the police and do not enhance improved reporting.’
Feminists Against Censorship - ’We would like to express wholehearted support for x:talk and this campaign. We think it’s important because we believe in the right of sex workers to work as they see fit without discriminatory laws undermining their safety for the sake of “community concern” and apparent “protection”.’
Brooke Magnanti - ’I support the campaign because it’s time for us to realise no matter how we feel about sex work, making criminals of the people in it is no solution. Historically, prohibition has never been an effective strategy and often causes more harm than it stops. London is a truly international city and must lead the way with compassion and human rights for all in our society.’
Students for Sensible Drug Policy UK – ‘We support the call for a moratorium on arrests, detentions and deportations of sex workers in the run-up to the Olympic Games and beyond. Targeting sex workers in this way can only lead to increased exploitation and abuse of an arguably already vulnerable group. We stand committed to the basic principle of harm reduction and call for an open and honest debate about the usefulness a punitive approach to sex work.’
Scot-Pep, Scotland - ’SCOT-PEP thinks this is an important campaign because the recent increase in arrests and raids on brothels has created a climate of fear among legitimate sex-workers.’