Feminist protest kicks off outside London porn event
By Ian Dunt Follow @IanDunt
Several feminist groups will join forces today to protest outside a porn summit in central London.
Campaigners will dress as butchers and businessmen and pretend to trade in women's body parts in a protest aimed at senior figures in the adult entertainment industry.
"This summit is being presented as a lavish, respectable corporate event, when in fact it is a brazen opportunity for the porn industry to plan new ways of profiting from the exploitation of women," said Julia Long of the London Feminist Network.
"No matter how slick and sophisticated the presentation, it is the still the same old meat market just below the surface."
Campaigners blame hardcore pornography for perpetuating the eroticisation of rape and encouraging violence against women.
With online pornography increasingly prevalent, many family groups have also become critical of the industry.
The global porn industry is estimated to be worth $97 billion (£63 billion), with recent research suggesting young men now watch an average of 2.5 hours of pornography a week.
