“Deeds Not Words” @SistersUncut #deadwomencantvote #SuffragetteMovie pic.twitter.com/3S7AH29iuN
— Dickie James (@DickiJames) October 7, 2015
Laying across the red carpet, chanting, and releasing smoke flares, activists arrived at a Suffragette premiere earlier today to protest funding cuts for domestic violence help services. The protest was not as well received by everyone as you’d expect a feminist protest to be at the premiere of a movie about historic feminism.
BBC News reported that the carpet in Leicester Square, London was blocked for a little while before protesters were “escorted away by security guards,” though I think we’re working off different definitions of the word “escorted” judging by the video below:
Watch this video of us being dragged off the red carpet. Fight goes on. Stop cuts to domestiv violence services now. https://t.co/1AEfRq0pk6
— Sisters Uncut (@SistersUncut) October 7, 2015
While this is more the security team’s fault than anyone creatively involved with the film’s, Suffragette‘s image has already been damaged by its lack of inclusivity (as highlighted by some racially insensitive t-shirts), and the treatment these protesters received is another indication of how far feminism has to go. They wanted to point out that the fight for women’s rights didn’t end with the right to vote, and sadly, the outcome of this protest makes that point painfully clear
Stars of the movie had good things to say about the protesters as they raised their voices to be heard over the chanting in interviews. The Guardian reports that Actor Romala Garai said, “I haven’t spoken to them [the protesters] or seen their demands but I’m happy to see the suffrage movement is alive and happening.”
Helena Bonham Carter also commented, “I’m glad our film has done something. That’s exactly what it’s there for,” also saying that the protest was the “perfect” response.
Meanwhile, a Sisters Uncut activist named Latifa told The Guardian,
These cuts disproportionately affect women of colour. Of the 32 services for women affected by domestic violence that have been closed since 2010, they were all specialist services which helped LGBQ and BAME women.
It’s timely because the cast of the film is entirely white and they are running with this slogan, ‘I’d rather be a rebel than a slave’ which implies passivity or acceptance of being a slave. But it also ignores the fact that women of colour were completely involved in the suffragette struggle. This film isn’t representing them.
This film is talking about women’s liberation in a very celebratory sense and there’s this argument that we’re in a post-feminist era so that means that our messages more than ever need to heard because there is this delusional element to it all.
(via Sisters Uncut on Twitter)
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