On Tuesday afternoon, folk dressed in leather and latex, wearing harnesses and gimp masks, gathered outside Meta’s offices at Brock Street. A sudden downpour didn’t dampen the atmosphere. More and more people arrived into the spotless square of corporate glass-fronted buildings and chain coffee shops, turning heads as kinksters in fetish gear began to outnumber business people in suits. For several hours the protesters staked out peacefully, waving a giant LGBTQ AI+ flag, and holding bold red and black placards. The placards read “Deleted for existing” and “Stop deleting people”.
Protesters from across London’s sex-positive, queer and kink scenes came out in force in response to the alleged deletion of hundreds of queer and sex-positive Instagram accounts by Meta. Those affected claim the deletions came without warning, that a large number of accounts were removed during Pride Month — and that in all it constitutes a targeted attack on already-marginalised communities.
