Sadiq khan appeared to drown in a fringe event this afternoon when he addressed the threats and discrimination he receives as mayor of London.
โThe Mayor of London needs 24/7 police protection because of the color of his skin and the God he worships. That can't be right, โKhan said, and was greeted with applause from the delegates.
For the first time since i went elected Mayor of London in 2016, Mr. Khan spoke about the limits placed on his daily life to keep him, his family and his staff safe.
Speaking in the New statesman event, said: โYou can not do anything spontaneously.
โCycling to work is different for me than it is for you.
"Going for a jog is different for me than it is for you.
"Taking the dog for a walk is different for me than it is for you."
Khan said he can't even open his front door or walk to a nearby park to walk his dog, in nod to recent criticism. he received for take a convoy of three cars several miles down the road to take your dog for a walk.
He continued: โSurely I can become a hermit and stay home and go to my local common house or I can follow the advice of family and friends who ask me if it's worth it. Should I pack it? "
Then the mayor of London paused for a moment when he began to choke and said, "I'm getting emotional."
Khan said he has not spoken before about the extent of the abuse he receives because he does not want to dissuade others from taking office.
Imagine being my wife, my daughters, or my mom. It's not nice, โhe said. "I love my family."
In an attempt to lighten the mood, he added, "By the way, I love my staff too."
the The Mayor of London then praised his staff, and said, "I have the best staff in the world to advise your staff because of the virulence they have to read and that is directed at me."
Khan then turned the conversation to how to keep women safe both on the streets of London and across the country, in the wake of the recent death of Sabina Nessa, who died while walking five minutes to the pub.
Asked by I On what measures can be implemented, the mayor of London said it was important to stop putting responsibility on women.
He said, "We have to stop asking women to change their behavior and ask men to change theirs."
Khan said it "has to start with the way we teach our children in school" as women should not be forced to change their behavior by dressing differently, wearing sneakers on their journey so they can run if necessary and changing the way you walk. home in the winter months.
He made several proposals, such as making public transportation safe, ensuring streets are better lit, and changing the statute book by making misogyny a hate crime and harassment on the streets a public crime.
