A Russian law student has taken matters into her own hands to combat “manspreading” on the subway.
Anna Dovgalyuk, a 20-year-old Russian law student and social activist, has been in the headlines lately for her extreme efforts to stop “manspreading” on the subway. She takes matters into her own hands, pouring diluted bleach on unsuspecting male commuters who sit with their legs spread wide apart. While some see her actions as a mild form of vigilante justice, others view it as assault.
Anna believes that “manspreading” is a form of “gender aggression” and that her actions are justified in combating it. She argues that this behavior is disrespectful to others and that men who engage in it should be held accountable for their actions. She has no qualms about using her bleach solution to mark the offenders with “identification spots” that will last for days.
“This solution is 30 times more concentrated than the mixture used by housewives when doing the laundry,” she explains. “It eats colors in the fabric in a matter of minutes – leaving indelible stains.”
Anna has gained both negative and positive attention for her actions. Some see her as a hero for standing up to a perceived injustice, while others see her as a dangerous criminal. A Russian news outlet has even accused her of staging the footage, alleging that she only targets bad actors.
Anna denies these allegations, saying that her actions are absolutely real. However, the lack of any legal action against her, such as suing for damage to clothing or contacting law enforcement, has led some to question the authenticity of her actions. It also doesn’t help that she has a history of posting attention-grabbing videos, such as lifting her skirt in a train station to combat harassment and upskirting.
Regardless of the authenticity of her actions, Anna’s approach sets a bad example. Physical violence is never the answer, even if you disagree with someone’s behavior. Destroying someone’s property and causing harm to their clothing and skin is not an appropriate response, no matter how disrespectful or rude the behavior is.
Manspreading, while frustrating to some, is not illegal, and physical violence is not an acceptable way to address it. Anna’s actions only serve to escalate the situation and make things worse.
It’s important to find more constructive ways to address issues like this, such as education and awareness campaigns, rather than resorting to vigilante justice.
As one commentator put it, “You don’t get to physically attack someone because you don’t like their rude, yet legal, behavior. No one has the right to destroy another person’s property over a difference of opinion, not even when it comes to manners.”
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