Anonymous trans mob defend 'cloak and dagger' crusade against feminist professor

Students who are demonstrating to demand the resignation of lecturer Kathleen Stock have defended their decision to remain mostly anonymous.

The philosophy professor at the University of Sussex has been subjected to a student-led campaign over her views on trans rights - with further action planned for this afternoon.

It is believed the campaign is being led by a group of 15 students, who have previously been seen posing in balaclavas and holding up a sign reading 'Stock out'. 

The threat she faces from the demonstrations have even led to her being advised to install CCTV at her home and to hire security to protect her on the university's campus. 

Until now, the students involved in the campaign have chosen to remain anonymous, but speaking to The Times, 23-year-old Rio Jacques, involved in the demonstrations, defended other students' rights to hide their identities.

Speaking to the paper he said: 'We try to keep as much anonymity as possible. It's plausible deniability as well. 

'It's cloak and dagger, but that's not the way we want it. The masks, it's not meant to be threatening. It's just for the protection of people that want to be vocal. 

'No one wants to lose their place at university, but we don't want to sacrifice our right to defend ourselves with our words.'

The groups leading the calls for Stock's resignation are known as Reclaim Sussex and Anti Terf Sussex, of which Jacques - who is transgender - is involved in both. 

He said that part of his motivation for joining the campaign was as a result of his parents' reaction to announcing he wanted to transition and said their negative views were informed by online stories by Stock.

And although he acknowledged that the demonstrations must be hard on Stock, but claimed that Stock was adding to the negative impact on the mental health of the trans community. 

It comes after the BBC was forced to make a correction live on air after it allowed a University of Sussex student union officer to falsely accuse Stock of supporting anti-transgender statements.

On Wednesday's broadcast of BBC Politics Live presenter Jo Coburn interviewed Amelia Jones, the union's elected transgender and non-binary representative about the feminist academic at the centre of a free speech at universities row. 

During the programme, Ms Jones made a string of comments about Professor Stock, 48, including allegations that students had boycotted her classes before and stating she publicly supported a declaration to 'eliminate trans people in law'.

The student union rep added there was 'strong feeling within the community' that transgender students at the University were 'unsafe' and felt 'intellectually threatened' by Professor Stock.  

But on the following day's broadcast of Politics Live, host Jo Coburn read out an official correction after Professor Stock rebuked Ms Jones' comments.

It comes as public demonstrations by University of Sussex students are planned for this afternoon - after the gender expert was branded a 'transphobe' and posters were put up around campus demanding her resignation last week. 

Prof Stock, a trustee with activist group LGB Alliance - who have previously been accused of 'anti-trans' policies - has been advised by police not to visit campus, and teach her lectures online due to concerns for her safety.

She has faced a torrent of online abuse, and been branded a 'terf' for writing that she disgreed with the 'transwomen are women' mantra, and calling for female safe spaces.

The term 'terf', which stands for Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist, was levelled at JK Rowling after she disagreed with an online article describing 'people who menstruate'.