Porn protest marches to e.tv studios in Cape Town, Joburg

Christians, led by several women’s groups, will march to the e.tv studios in Cape Town and Johannesburg on Saturday May 21 to hand over a memorandum urging the broadcaster to remove sexually explicit programmes, says Africa Christian Action (ACA) in a media statement released today.

The march organisers urge Christians to join the growing reaction against tv porn by participating in the marches, signing an online petition, joining the discussion on the Africa Christian Action and Family Policy Institute facebook pages, and changing their facebook profile picture to the “no to e.tv porn” logo pictured on this page.

Naidoo initiated the switch-off campaign on Thursday last week after e.tv dismissed calls by Christians for the cancellation of the late night programme on the grounds that it degraded women and was harmful to children. Since then he says that a number of churches representing millions of Christians have agreed to support the switch-off campaign.

e.tv has defended its showing of Naked News saying that it adhered to the code of the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) — a view that is endorsed by the BCCSA itself. A BCCSA spokesman said the programme was acceptable because it was shown late at night, was 18 age-restricted and warned of sex and nudity. The spokesman said parents should supervise what their children watched on tv. Naidoo and ACA have responded by calling for the scrapping of the BCCSA and the establishment of a new body that was more accountable to the public.

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“E-tv may not have contravened their own ‘Broadcasting Code of Conduct’ but they have contravened the socially accepted standards of morality and common decency in a civilised society,” says Naidoo in an open letter today.

“We must maintain the pressure and send a message to all broadcasters in SA that the Church of Christ will not be bullied by greedy corporations who mercilessly exploit women and children for profit,” he says.

The ACA statement says: “Despite much public protest, e.tv has defiantly continued to screen their women-objectifying and immoral programmes on weekends. They have been screening p*rn films for over 10 years. Some of the advertising, even screened during PG13 movies, is very explicit. There are also p*rn SMS adverts during the Naked News programme.”

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The statement cites findings during doctoral research interviews of 100 child sex offenders and their mothers, that home-alone children had said they had wanted to copy love scenes on soapies while others had been inspired by late night pornography on e.tv.

“Essentially all women are made the same. So if their body is displayed lewdly, it actually degrades me. Porn is a personal affront. In the mind of the porn consumer, who separates the woman that he views in that position from me? Who educates people on the difference? To objectify some women, is to objectify all women,” says the ACA statement.

“Please encourage especially women’s groups and men’s groups at your church to join the march,” it says.

In Cape Town marchers will meet in the parking lot of Orange Street Baptist Church (parking lot is in Kloof Street, lower part) at 10am on Saturday, May 21. They will march up Kloof Street and turn right into Darters Road and assemble outside the e.tv studio for a speech and the handing over of the memorandum.

The statment requests marchers to wear red clothing. It says some placards and banners will be provided but people are welcome to bring their own. Further information can be obtained by phoning Africa Christian Action at 021 – 689 4481 or by emailing them at info@christianaction.org.za.

The Johannesburg marchers, who are also asked to wear red clothing, will gather in the Hyde Park Mall parking lot at 10am prior to marching to e.tv’s studios in Hyde Park. Further details will be announced later. More information can be obtainned by calling Pearl Kupe at 083 305 9622 or by emailinng her at Pearl.Kupe@transnet.net.

Click to join movement

Anti porn supporters are also invited to join the Family Policy Institute Group and Africa Christian Action page on facebook to join the discussion. “Create awareness by changing your profile picture on Facebook to the “No to E-TV porn” logo. Go to the online petition site and right click on the logo, then save the picture to your computer. Next, go to ‘change profile pic’ on your Facebook profile,” says the statement.