A Glasgow venue has backed down after attempting to cancel a booking from a feminist group at the last minute. 

According to LBC, Platform gave FiLiA, a gender-critical charity, 12 hours' notice that their conference on Friday would not be allowed to go ahead in their city centre site. 

The decision followed a campaign from a trans rights calling for the venue to “drop out of hosting this event.”

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Glasgow Trans Rally urged their Instagram followers to email, phone and message the Platform, saying the conference was “dangerously transphobic.”

In a statement, the group said: “This weekend, Platform in the centre of Glasgow will host the FiLiA conference – a ‘women’s rights’ conference that is explicitly and dangerously transphobic, with speakers such as Julie Bindel, Joanna Cherry, and many others.

“‘Feminist’ conferences such as this legitimise debates around trans lives as an area of concern for women and pit trans rights against women’s rights.

“It encourages an environment which materially endangers trans folk, especially trans women, and contributes to an environment where our lives and rights are debated – as can be seen by Rishi Sunak’s latest comments.”

They said Platform had "the power to show FiLiA that they are not welcome in Glasgow." 

"They have the power to do the right thing - to destabilise the conference and stand in solidarity with the trans community.”

The pressure initially worked. 

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However, the venue, based on the site of the former Arches nightclub, reinstated the conference after they were threatened with legal action. 

Lisa-Marie Taylor, the chief executive and co-founder of FiLiA, said: “We are delighted that our conference is going ahead. We were dismayed when we were informed by Platform at very short notice that they were not going to allow us into the venue.

“It was clear to us that they and their staff had been pressurised by a group determined to undermine women’s rights and thwarting freedom of speech.

“The idea that so many women may have been shut out because of a small band of anti-democratic and anonymous campaigners was extremely distressing.

“We are very grateful to our legal team for acting so quickly to turn this round.”

Ms Cherry, who is speaking at the conference, said: “I hope that this case sends a very clear message to venues all over the country that they do not have to buckle when pressurised by misguided and anonymous activists hell-bent on undermining not only women who wish to advance the ongoing problems we continue to face on a daily basis, but the rule of law itself.

“The law is on their side. I stand in solidarity with FiLiA having myself been ‘cancelled’ earlier in the year, only for me to take similar legal action and for The Stand to back down.

“I said at the time: ‘I think it says something's gone very wrong in Scotland's civic space. Small groups of activists are now dictating who can speak and what can be discussed.’

“I stand by that concern, but the fight must go on to allow everyone to debate the issues freely without fear of being vilified and cancelled by a small minority out to undermine fundamental principles of democracy.”

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In a statement provided by Platform's lawyers, the venue said: "We are fully aware of and comply with our legal obligations and responsibilities under the equality legislation.

"We welcome a diverse and eclectic clientele including those from the trans community on our premises. We also recognise the right to peaceful protest.

"As a responsible employer we always closely monitor and safeguard the safety and wellbeing of our employees and would condemn any unlawful behaviour that could affect them."

Glasgow Trans Rally is expected to protest the event.