Pranksters were accused of ‘crossing a line’ when they staged a social experiment amongst domestic abuse survivors, in which a female protester appeared to be bottled by a man.
The prank, dubbed “disgusting” by onlookers, was staged at the ‘Million Women Rise’ march, which supports the end of all forms of violence against women and girls.
As campaigners gathered at Trafalgar Square for a rally, a heated exchange broke out between a man and women.
As the pair argued, the man appears to ‘bottle’ the women after she had slapped him in the face.
Campaigners, who had been trying to diffuse the argument, rushed to protect the woman before a camera man ran in to explain the prank.
“It’s a joke, it’s fake, we’re making a movie, we’re making a porno,” said the cameraman.
The perpetrators behind the prank were part of YouTube channel Trollstation, which later revealed the bottle was made of sugar glass.
According to the YouTube account, Trollstation is known for “bizarre and often surreal pranks performed on unwitting members of the public.”
However, the channel’s latest prank has been badly received.
“He (the prankster) put vulnerable women in a position where they felt they had to save another woman and then get physical with a man at a domestic violence rally. It was disgusting,” a domestic abuse campaigner told the Independent
“It was taking the piss out of women who have been physically, emotionally and mentally harmed by domestic abuse.”
Sarah Green, a spokeswomen from End Violence Against Women Coalition, called the stunt “totally revolting.”
“What was supposed to come out of that? There are really good political uses of street theatre, with a good idea and a good purpose, but that’s not it,” Green told the paper.
Amina Maz, the actress involved in the prank, argued the social experiment served a very valuable purpose.
“It was to see whether there would be a double standard shift with the violence being directed towards a man,” said Maz in a statement to the Independent.
She reiterated her support for women’s rights but continued to justify the prank.
“Being a woman, I am obliged to consent to everything they stand for.”
“The shock to the women from the edible sugar glass bottle was temporary. They were not left alarmed or distressed and no crime was committed, sometimes you have to cross boundaries to get your voice heard,” she added.