"Sofagate": Thousands sign petition for head of European Council to resign after he took chair from female colleague in viral video

It was the snub seen around the world – and now it may have serious consequences. After the president of the European Council left his female colleague without a seat during a meeting with the Turkish president, a petition has been created, urging him to resign. 

It started when European Council President Charles Michel and and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen were meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. During the meeting, Michel and Erdoğan took the only two chairs available, leaving von der Leyen to stand, then find a seat elsewhere – after looking displeased.  Video of the incident quickly went viral – if not just for its awkwardness, for its apparent sexism. It has since been dubbed "Sofagate," but a group of dozens of women activists groups and leaders says it has serious implications.