Signs telling women which side of road to walk on cause outrage

Walk this way: Poster for a Torah Parade in Stamford Hill. Photograph: Twitter

Posters in Stamford Hill instructing women to walk on one side of the road only have been removed by Hackney Council after they sparked a wave of criticism online and on social media.

According to Jewish community patrol group Shomrim – who were not responsible for the posters –  the signs were put up ahead of a Torah parade for the Orthodox community of Stamford Hill, which took place this week.

Written both in English and in Hebrew, the signs read: “Women should please walk along this side of the road only.”

During Torah parades men and women are traditionally separated, as dancing and physical contact between the sexes is avoided in Orthodox Judaism.

After a photograph of the signs appeared on social media, the posters were heavily criticised. One Twitter user wrote:

@CounselTweets that makes me want to walk on the other side just because it says I shouldn’t!

— Jodie Dodson (@jodie_dodson) September 17, 2014

Another tweeted:

This is absolutely absurd. Women can walk where they like in England. We are a free country. #StamfordHill pic.twitter.com/IgOSrOkDVv

— Ian Brownhill (@CounselTweets) September 17, 2014

 

Chaim Hochhauser, supervisor at Shomrim said: “Shomrim have since contacted the event organisers, and explained that these posters lacked explanation in the English text, and therefore could have offended people who don’t understand the Hebrew wording and the logo.”

A Council spokesperson said: “As soon as the signs were brought to the Council’s attention they were removed.”