#MooreandMe Feminist Twitter Protesters Blocked by Progressive "Allies"

The current debate over Julian Assange, Wikileaks founder, being charged with rape is like a rerun of the Roman Polanski defense: if a man has done some really cool stuff during his life, like direct excellent movies or leak tons of government secrets, then the criminal justice system doesn't apply to him, especially when it comes to trivial matters like rape. Add Michael Moore, Keith Olbermann, $20,000, and patronizing censorship to the rape apologism mix, and we're really cooking.

After Moore donated $20,000 toward getting Assange out on bail, feminist bloggers following the lead of Sady Doyle on Tiger Beatdown took to Twitter with a protest under the hashtag #MooreandMe, reminiscent of Moore's early film "Roger & Me" about a little guy trying to stand up to the big guy. They want an apology and an equivalent donation to an anti-rape organization. Because it's not just that, as Doyle writes, he "put $20,000 hard, cashy dollars on the line, so that Julian Assange, white male left-wing darling, will be able to get out on bail despite posing a substantial and acknowledged flight risk." It's also the way Moore attacked the "official story" — in other words, rape charges by two women — and called their case "hooey." "Never, ever believe" women's rape accusations, right?

Then there's Olbermann, who helped to spread the names of the women bringing the rape charges, opening them up to harassment for daring to report sexual assault by the god of Wikileaks, in addition to disseminating the unprotected-sex-in-Sweden is rape myth (or the Assange-was-jailed-for-a-broken-condom version). In an ironic twist, these lies Assange's defenders have run with were contradicted by a leaked police report the Guardian gained "unauthorised access" to, wherein charges are detailed of forcibly holding down one woman who didn't want to have sex and penetrating another while she was unconscious (without using a condom, even though the woman had previously made clear she would not consent to unprotected sex).

Many Assange defenders have claimed that he would never have been arrested if not for opposition to Wikileaks. Well, duh. As most feminist bloggers have pointed out, we're all crystal clear on the fact that rape charges usually get ignored, and it's shocking to have these reports so swiftly pursued. But that means that rape accusations need to be taken seriously more regularly, not that Assange should get off the hook.

And many of those feminist bloggers, myself included, think the government could use a lot more transparency and that Wikileaks is a good thing. (You can sign petitions off the Criminal Justice blog bashing Amazon for removing Wikileaks or request a pardon for whistleblower Bradley Manning.) Still doesn't mean that Assange can't be guilty of rape, or that women reporting sexual assault should be disparaged and dismissed. He needs to stand trial for the alleged crimes, not run away, and at that time his guilt or innocence in the eyes of the law will be established.

Maya reports on Feministing that yesterday, Keith Olbermann tweeted, "Feminism has no greater male supporter in tv news than me." If that's true, we're really in trouble, because that message came in the middle of a busy day for Olbermann blocking protesters tweeting #MooreandMe. Maya considers simply refusing to even listen to and blocking a number of feminist bloggers (while being hypocritical about his support) the worst the whole rape apologism debacle, the truly unforgivable action. But if he's still trying to hold up that mantle, then we're going to keep trying to make him listen.

Keep tweeting your #MooreandMe protests to Michael Moore @MMFlint and @KeithOlbermann. Maybe then they'll get the message about what it means to be a supporter of feminism and what the proper response is to sexual assault allegations.