LONDON -- Hundreds of protestors have descended on Parliament to protest against new porn regulations.
A mass "face-sitting" is being staged Friday at the Old Palace Yard in central London to challenge a recent law included in the Audiovisual Media Services Regulations 2014, which bans a variety of activities from being depicted in online porn.
Anything involving "physical restraint," "strong physical and verbal abuse" and potentially "life-threatening acts" are among the acts barred in the law. Spanking, caning, whipping and urolagnia (or "water sports"), humiliation, face-sitting and more are all banned from online porn sold in the UK.
Charlotte Rose, a sex worker, organized the protests. "These laws are not only sexist but they taking away people’s choices without consent," she said of the legislation.
“@HarryLow49: "I'm here to fight female repression" #pornprotest #facesit #c4news pic.twitter.com/ZkSRjyh505” @CCriadoPerez — Michelle Pattison (@MichellePat4) December 12, 2014
#pornprotest "it's tough on the knees... maybe that's why it's not allowed now" - @MAbsolute pic.twitter.com/WzjpLBfOqI— Ms Slide (@sliderulesyou) December 12, 2014
The ban states that any online paid-for porn such as Video on Demand must adhere to the same rules set out for DVD production.
First face sitters #pornprotest pic.twitter.com/OeoaWbcvrq— lydia morrish (@lydiathecat) December 12, 2014
Record attempt for face sitting at #pornprotest pic.twitter.com/iSjQdPtjq9— Alexander Ward (@alex___ward) December 12, 2014
Yes yes yes #pornprotest pic.twitter.com/9Z1BqKZe9w— Molly (@Mollysdailykiss) December 12, 2014
Many of the protestors wore leather outfits.
Defining image of #pornprotest pic.twitter.com/uSrOpKsJEC— Catherine Mayer (@catherine_mayer) December 12, 2014
Interesting scenes at the face sitting #pornprotest pic.twitter.com/FFr0V8gKOU— WonderWomen (@TeleWonderWomen) December 12, 2014
And one came dressed as Santa.
The etiquette for sitting on Santa has really changed since I was a kid. #PornProtest pic.twitter.com/OPZLv3bKhM— Martin Wefail (@wefail) December 12, 2014
Julian Huppert, the Liberal Democrat MP for Cambridge, has recently called for the rules to be annulled.
"It seems to be to be very odd to say that this -- assuming it is consensual -- is acceptable for somebody to do in their own home, for them to photograph it, film it, but not to look at it online if it comes from the UK," he said.