They started out in Ukraine, established a thriving headquarters in Paris and last year succeeded in ambushing a startled Vladimir Putin during a visit to a German trade fair. Now the controversial activists of Femen, notorious for their topless protests on issues such as prostitution, abortion and the wearing of the hijab, are planning to target Britain.
In London to promote a documentary on the group's activities, founding member and spokesperson Inna Shevchenko said Femen U.K. would focus on issues such as female genital mutilation (FGM), forced marriage and the sex industry.
"No one is talking about FGM in England," she said. "People assume it is too violent and extreme to exist here, that it only happens in Africa and the Middle East, but the U.K. has some of the highest levels in the West." The setting up of a new British arm of Femen's operations is likely to generate mixed feelings among indigenous feminist groups. A succession of high-profile topless protests since the group's formation in 2009 was greeted with bafflement and amusement by many observers, although given the heavy-handed treatment often meted out by bodyguards and police there is no doubting its members' courage.