Women stage Suffragettes march to support Extinction Rebellion protesters ahead of sentencing

Over 100 women dressed as Suffragettes gathered outside Southwark Crown Court on Friday to support seven protesters who smashed windows during an Extinction Rebellion climate protest.

The women were spared jail and handed suspended sentences for smashing the windows of Barclays’ London headquarters to draw attention to the bank’s role in financing the climate crisis.

Actor Juliet Stevenson and Helen Pankhurst, the great-granddaughter of Suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst, addressed crowds at the rally before the hearing.

Drawing parallels between the consequences and vitriol faced by the Suffragettes and Extinction Rebellion, Pankhurst told The Big Issue: “They are both socially marginalised, made fun of, considered to be extremists, and legally silenced, and yet they stand up for justice in the way the Suffragettes did.”

She added: “I think it’s easy to admire the radical campaigners of the past while at the same time not seeing the parallels with the present, and calling that out, calling the hypocrisy out, is really important.”

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Known as the “Barclays Seven”, the women’s protest in April 2021 was part of a wider Extinction Rebellion campaign to draw attention to banks financing fossil fuels.

During the protest, which caused damage costing £100,000 to repair, they wore the green and purple colours of the Suffragettes.

They were found guilty after a crown court trial in which five represented themselves.

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Ahead of the sentencing, protesters marched through central London from Bank station to Southwark Crown Court, singing Suffragette songs and wearing sashes bearing the green, purple, and white of the movement.

As the crowd made its way across London Bridge, smoke flares were set off, before a set of speeches outside the court.

Truly Madly Deeply actor Juliet Stevenson recalled seeing a plaque in parliament honouring the bravery of the Suffragettes.

“I thought: what hypocrites. You locked them up, you beat them up, you called them criminals and terrorists, you force fed them, and now you’re calling them heroines of history – which of course they are,” she told The Big Issue.

“It strikes me that many movements for change like Extinction Rebellion and all those who are fighting for climate protection are called criminals.”