‘Operation Takedown’ tells followers to look out for Return of Kings ‘secret code’

THE followers of “legal rape” advocate Roosh V supposedly use a code to identify each other. It’s all enshrined in one innocuous question.

HOW do you identify a follower of “legal rape” advocate Roosh V? Well, according to a group set up to take down the misogynist and his fan base, it’s all in one secret question: “Do you know where I can find a pet shop?”

Roosh V, whose real name is Daryush Valizadeh, made headlines around the country this week when he promoted “planned meetings” in Australian capital cities.

The American-based pick-up artist best known for espousing damaging views about women, gay and transgender people, including that rape should be legal on private property, told his followers to “come out of the shadows for a meeting”.

Police don’t believe any meeting will occur and Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said Valizadeh hasn’t applied for a visa and would likely not get in to the country if he tried.

Despite that, groups have been set up to monitor and “take down” so-called tribesmen should they try to come together under the banner for Return of Kings International Meetup Day on February 6.

On Facebook, a Brisbane group titled Operation Takedown Return of Kings, implored members of the general public to go to meeting points, including King George Square in Brisbane, and listen out for the secret question.

“The RoK Leader has instructed any of his fellow followers to reach the meeting points between 8:00pm and 8:20pm and not one minute after, so I think it’s fitting to arrive half an hour beforehand and cover most areas around King George Square,” the group’s administrator wrote.

“Their secret question to ask one another is: ‘Do you know where I can find a pet shop?’ which if they are a fellow follower, they will answer ‘yes’ to.”

The group has 522 members committed to breaking up any planned meeting. In the comments section, members declared they’ll do whatever it takes to disrupt those taking part.

Police say there are no planned events but they’re monitoring the situation closely.

“At the risk of looking like a tough guy ... anyone, and I mean anyone, who feels unsafe at this time, find me,” one member wrote.

“I will not be hard to spot. I will guarantee your protection. I’m a lot of things, but frail and non violent aren’t exactly on that list.”

A female member of the group wrote that she was “down with confronting any of them one on one” but “can’t afford to get hurt with two little ones at home to look after”.

Other members of the group called for calm.

“Could everyone please back down on the threats of violence/rape,” a female member of the group wrote.

“This must be a peaceful protest or else you are trying to solve your problems in the same aggressive manner that these RoK morons think will fix anything for them.”

Rape victim Katrina Keshishian supported a Change.org petition to shut down planned events in Sydney this week. She said police must do more to shut them down.

“As a victim of a gang rape myself, it horrifies me to think that events encouraging men to go out and do what they did to me could be allowed to go ahead,” she said.

But a NSW Police spokesman told news.com.au that’s simply not the case.

“It’s smoke and mirrors. We’re monitoring the situation and we’re concerned about anyone espousing views of this nature but there’s no planned meeting, all we can establish is that (Roosh V) is making claims on social media,” the spokesman said.

“No forms for such events have been submitted by any party. There’s no appetite for this man’s views.”

In Western Australia, where Roosh V followers were encouraged to gather at Cottesloe, Police Minister Liz Harvey said the “neomasculinist group will be watched closely.

“I shudder to call him a man. Real men don’t advocate rape,” Ms Harvey told Fairfax.

“Sadly, ill-informed neanderthals exist in the world. Through the internet they manage to get a platform of like-minded followers. Quite frankly anybody who advocates these views or feels violence towards women is acceptable, my message towards them is ‘get help’.

“We can’t arrest him for standing around talking. It’s very difficult to arrest someone for inciting a criminal offence.”

Instead of attending event sites and disrupting planned meetings, The Project host Waleed Aly on Tuesday night urged the public to “hijack Valizadeh’s campaign” and instead support and share links to women’s refuges like Lou’s Place.

Lou’s Place CEO Deborah Banks said while Lou’s Place had known it would get a mention on The Project, and details of how to donate would appear, she was unprepared for what followed.

As soon as Aly’s calm, considered, scathing demolition of Roosh V aired, Ms Banks’ phone and the Lou’s Place Facebook page and twitter lit up.

Six hours later she was still fielding phone calls and responding to email enquiries about how to donate.

By 11.30am Wednesday, the Lou’s Place Facebook page had grown from about 800 ‘likes’ pre-Waleed, to more than 5000.

And with just four full-time staff and more than 50 volunteers, Lou’s Place — which relies on private donations — is still tallying what the resulting donations will amount to.

“Because donations are coming from so many different sources, via direct debit or other platforms, it will take us some time to get a handle on it — I’ve no idea of a figure at this point,” Ms Banks said.

“Certainly the contact has been overwhelming in the best possible way.”

Lou’s Place has no plans to pursue Roosh V or engage him in argument, content to follow Aly’s lead in diverting attention to something positive.

“We are delighted with what has been a fantastic initiative which actually denied oxygen to such a destructive and self-obsessed entity (Roosh V) and puts the focus onto women in need,” Ms Banks said.

“It’s given people something practical they can do. They are doing something positive in reaction to his comments, rather than being distressed by them. The mood among the women working and spending time here is buoyant.”

For his part, the outspoken leader of Return of Kings appears to be shunning the spotlight days after urging his followers to “come out of the shadows”.

“It’s time to go underground in the cities that threaten the safety of my supporters,” he wrote on his blog.

Originally published as ‘Operation Takedown’ tells followers to look out for Return of Kings ‘secret code’