Thousands of women marched along the streets of the capitals of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Island to mark 100 years of women winning the right to vote in the United Kingdom. Vowing to continue the rights for true equality, they paraded in major cities wearing green, white and violet colour of the suffragette movement on Sunday afternoon.
Over 1,000 campaigners travelled to Belfast from all over Ireland to take part in the processions event to mark the celebrations of Female Suffrage. In 1918, women over the age of 30, who owned British–property were granted their right to vote.
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More than 30,000 women from London alone participated in the march. They marched towards the Parliament Square. Many more joined marches in Belfast, Cardiff, and Edinburgh. There were estimated to be more than 100,000 women. Many women travelled miles to join the marches while some even came from overseas.
The females marching were handed free scarves in suffragette colours. Scarves were handmade, specially dyed cloth from India.
Sunday’s processions event was planned by the public arts events creators Artichoke. Arts group Artichoke specializes in organizing large-scale, participatory events. Artichoke’s director, Helen Marriage, said she was struck by the amount of enthusiasm. She said, “A craft shop in London told us they’d run out of purple and green tassels, and they didn’t know why.”
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Some participants from London dressed as Edwardian suffragettes or even wore sashes in green, white or violet colours. One woman knitted a pendant with the slogan “Deeds not words.” While, another came with a banner “Nevertheless, she persisted.”
TV Show Derry Girls actress Saoirse Monica-Jackson also participated in the march. To mark the milestone, she posted a picture on Twitter. She tweeted, "There is no freedom without the freedom of woman. I am having the most fantastic day at Processions Belfast.”
There is no freedom without the freedom of woman ! I am having the most fantastic day at #processions2018 #PROCESSIONSBELFAST pic.twitter.com/So3YY1Hcsd
— Saoirse-Monica Jackson (@SaoirseJackson) June 10, 2018
Women of all ages and backgrounds came together and campaigned to celebrate the decade of women's democratic rights and mark this historic movement.
PC: Evening Standard
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Deepali is an intern for SheThePeople.TV