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WORLD NEWS Monday 11 June 2018

Suffragette cities: Centenary of women's vote marked in UK

By JILL LAWLESS groups that created from a more polite age.
LONDON (AP) — Thousands banners. They defied the law, went
of women turned cities in One woman knitted on hunger strikes, broke
England, Northern Ireland, a pennant with the windows and set off bombs
Scotland and Wales into suffragette slogan "Deeds in pursuit of their goal.
rivers of green, white and not words." Another came "They were really
violet Sunday to mark 100 with a banner evoking extraordinary people,"
years since the first women the phrase that became Marriage said. "A thousand
won the right to vote in the a tool of the women's of them went to prison. They
U.K. movement last year after were force fed in prison. In
Wearing scarves in the U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren today's terms, they would
colors of the suffragette was silenced during a be described as terrorists." Women from Wokingham, join thousands of people marching
movement that fought debate: "Nevertheless, she The suffragettes and their through the streets to celebrate 100 years since women were
for female political persisted." legacy remain more granted the vote, in London, Sunday June 10, 2018.
enfranchisement, women Women came from across controversial.q Associated Press
marched through London, England and even further
Edinburgh, Cardiff and afield to take part.
Belfast in events that were Asma Shami from
part artworks, part parades. Lahore, Pakistan, said she
The milestone they rearranged her visit to
observed was enactment Britain so she could attend
of the Representation of the march and celebrate
the People Act, which in women's progress.
1918 granted property- "It's so energizing," she said.
owning British women over "We've come a long way,
age 30 the right to vote. It and we have a long way
would be another decade still to go."
before women in the U.K. Artichoke director Helen
would have the same Marriage said she was
voting rights as men. struck by the amount of
Sunday's celebrations enthusiasm for the project.
were organized by arts "A craft shop in London told
group Artichoke, which us they'd run out of purple
specializes in large, and green tassels, and they
participatory events. It didn't know why," she said.
asked 100 artists to work Mother and daughter
with women's groups on Claire Gillett and Chloe
banners inspired by the bold Whittaker, from Great
designs of the suffragettes, Saling in eastern England,
who led a decades-long wore green shawls and
campaign of protest and said they had recently
civil disobedience to get discovered suffragettes
women the vote. among their ancestors.
The London march flowed Gillett said she was "super
in bands of color through proud" of her foremothers,
the heart of the city, especially since she'd
winding along Piccadilly always believed "women
and around Trafalgar in our family aren't very
Square before heading outspoken or bold."
to Parliament, the seat "It was quite empowering,"
of British political power. she said.
Some participants dressed The mood was celebratory,
as Edwardian suffragettes but Marriage said the event
or wore sashes in green, also was meant to highlight
white or violet the work still needed, from
Brownie packs and arts closing the gender pay
groups, an organization for gap to ending workplace
female ex-prisoners and sexual harassment.
the Worshipful Company of It also hoped to erase any
Upholders, an upholsterers' notion of the suffragettes
guild, were among the as prim campaigners