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| Student club night investigated after video 'promoting rape culture' | Student club night investigated after video 'promoting rape culture' |
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| An investigation into a student club night has been set up by Leeds County Council, after it received complaints from a local councillor and individuals. The investigation comes as nearly 2,000 students sign a petition to close the night down. | An investigation into a student club night has been set up by Leeds County Council, after it received complaints from a local councillor and individuals. The investigation comes as nearly 2,000 students sign a petition to close the night down. |
| The club night, called Freshers Violation is run by Tequila at Mezz club in Leeds. Students on social media have complained about a video posted on the club's Facebook page which, the objecters say, "promoted rape culture". | The club night, called Freshers Violation is run by Tequila at Mezz club in Leeds. Students on social media have complained about a video posted on the club's Facebook page which, the objecters say, "promoted rape culture". |
| The video, which has since been taken down, included a presenter asking a student: "How are you going to violate a fresher tonight?" The student replied: "She's going to get raped." | The video, which has since been taken down, included a presenter asking a student: "How are you going to violate a fresher tonight?" The student replied: "She's going to get raped." |
| The text under the video, which can still be read on the Facebook page despite the video's removal, reads: "Fu*k me I'm a fresher! Another huge night at Tequila with pole dancers, a violation cage and lots of second and third years seeking out new freshers." | The text under the video, which can still be read on the Facebook page despite the video's removal, reads: "Fu*k me I'm a fresher! Another huge night at Tequila with pole dancers, a violation cage and lots of second and third years seeking out new freshers." |
| Leeds Student newspaper has set up a petition to get the Tequila club night closed down. It has reached 1,940 signatures at the time of writing, and is going up by the hundreds every hour, according to the paper. This campaign follows Leeds Student Union's ban on the song Blurred Lines earlier this month, which students felt promoted rape culture. | Leeds Student newspaper has set up a petition to get the Tequila club night closed down. It has reached 1,940 signatures at the time of writing, and is going up by the hundreds every hour, according to the paper. This campaign follows Leeds Student Union's ban on the song Blurred Lines earlier this month, which students felt promoted rape culture. |
| Councillor Neil Walshaw, who has registered a complaint, says: "Rape culture and rape banter is wrong, full-stop. I, along with other councillors, are campaigning against the spread of rape culture and rape banter in our city. | Councillor Neil Walshaw, who has registered a complaint, says: "Rape culture and rape banter is wrong, full-stop. I, along with other councillors, are campaigning against the spread of rape culture and rape banter in our city. |
| "I warn promoters, businesses and venues to stay away from this kind of marketing. The council is looking at all sanctions and takes the dimmest possible view of this. One of the sanctions available is the revocation of a licence. That door is not closed. We will take the strongest possible approach." | "I warn promoters, businesses and venues to stay away from this kind of marketing. The council is looking at all sanctions and takes the dimmest possible view of this. One of the sanctions available is the revocation of a licence. That door is not closed. We will take the strongest possible approach." |
| Jasmine Anderson, associate editor of Leeds Student, says: "We want to combat the sexist attitudes that are prevailing in Leeds clubs. We were so frustrated with the general attitude towards women in the clubbing society that one of our editors decided it would be best to take it further. | Jasmine Anderson, associate editor of Leeds Student, says: "We want to combat the sexist attitudes that are prevailing in Leeds clubs. We were so frustrated with the general attitude towards women in the clubbing society that one of our editors decided it would be best to take it further. |
| "The normalisation of rape culture is very concerning. Even the people in the office who wouldn't consider themselves feminists felt that the Tequila video was overstepping the mark. It shouldn't be acceptable, so we decided to use the paper as a force for good. That video had to go through a process, someone had to make it and not see it as disturbing, someone had to edit it and ultimately the promoters had to OK it." | "The normalisation of rape culture is very concerning. Even the people in the office who wouldn't consider themselves feminists felt that the Tequila video was overstepping the mark. It shouldn't be acceptable, so we decided to use the paper as a force for good. That video had to go through a process, someone had to make it and not see it as disturbing, someone had to edit it and ultimately the promoters had to OK it." |
| Despite the video being taken down, the Leeds Student newspaper and signatories of the petition continue to have concerns about the club night and the type of promotion it uses. | Despite the video being taken down, the Leeds Student newspaper and signatories of the petition continue to have concerns about the club night and the type of promotion it uses. |
| Anderson says: "On their nights, girls are encouraged to take their clothes off in order to receive shots. There are girls on their site who have what is meant to look like semen down their trousers while someone tries to pull out their boob while they drink tequila." | Anderson says: "On their nights, girls are encouraged to take their clothes off in order to receive shots. There are girls on their site who have what is meant to look like semen down their trousers while someone tries to pull out their boob while they drink tequila." |
| Rosanna Pound-Woods, associate editor of Leeds Student, says: "The video is the catalyst. The club's promotion has a sleazy and uncomfortable feel to it and the petition is a way of logging the amount of students that are dissatisfied with it. | |
| "When you go there they use a lot of sexual innuendos. One of their slogans on their posters is 'Tequila: come and swallow'. Girls lie on the bar and bar staff put whipped cream on them, which guys have to come and lick off. They would say it's good fun but I've found it uncomfortable." | "When you go there they use a lot of sexual innuendos. One of their slogans on their posters is 'Tequila: come and swallow'. Girls lie on the bar and bar staff put whipped cream on them, which guys have to come and lick off. They would say it's good fun but I've found it uncomfortable." |
| Dr Rebekka Kill, a lecturer at Leeds Metropolitan University, says: "This petition is important, and I personally fully support it as we need our students to feel safe when they come to Leeds and club venues do have a duty of care in this. | Dr Rebekka Kill, a lecturer at Leeds Metropolitan University, says: "This petition is important, and I personally fully support it as we need our students to feel safe when they come to Leeds and club venues do have a duty of care in this. |
| "Rape is not a joke, and rape banter isn't funny and shouldn't be tolerated. The claim that the nightclub were not aware of the actions of their promoters is a worry but the bigger concern is that anyone could think that this is OK in the first place. I'm genuinely shocked." | "Rape is not a joke, and rape banter isn't funny and shouldn't be tolerated. The claim that the nightclub were not aware of the actions of their promoters is a worry but the bigger concern is that anyone could think that this is OK in the first place. I'm genuinely shocked." |
| Tequila have removed the video from their Facebook page and issued an apology, which says: "We recognise that there has been a lot of questions raised about the way we promote, manage and market our club nights after a video from one of our freshes' events, with content that can only be described as deplorable and completely despicable, was uploaded to our Facebook page. | Tequila have removed the video from their Facebook page and issued an apology, which says: "We recognise that there has been a lot of questions raised about the way we promote, manage and market our club nights after a video from one of our freshes' events, with content that can only be described as deplorable and completely despicable, was uploaded to our Facebook page. |
| "We wish to apologise unreservedly for the offence that has been caused. We categorically do not think it is acceptable or appropriate to normalise, excuse, tolerate or condone rape or any sexual offence of any sort and we are taking this situation very seriously." | "We wish to apologise unreservedly for the offence that has been caused. We categorically do not think it is acceptable or appropriate to normalise, excuse, tolerate or condone rape or any sexual offence of any sort and we are taking this situation very seriously." |
| A spokesperson for Tequila UK, says: "We're not out there to promote rape. It was a mistake and an apology statement has been written and can be found on our Facebook page. | A spokesperson for Tequila UK, says: "We're not out there to promote rape. It was a mistake and an apology statement has been written and can be found on our Facebook page. |
| "We don't condone rape at all. It's not something we want to promote or we want to be associated with in any shape or form. [The Tequila night at Mezz club] is a very popular student night, which thousands of students attend weekly." | "We don't condone rape at all. It's not something we want to promote or we want to be associated with in any shape or form. [The Tequila night at Mezz club] is a very popular student night, which thousands of students attend weekly." |
| West Yorkshire Police say they are aware of the situation and will be talking to the promoters and the venue's management. | West Yorkshire Police say they are aware of the situation and will be talking to the promoters and the venue's management. |
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