Could we just do a mass sit in for Women's Rights outside Westminster?

[FriendofJoanne]

I'm just wondering why with all the grass roots groups that have sprung up (Standing for Women, Fair Play for Women, Sex Matters, Women's Rights Network) etc we can't just do a massive protest march and then have a sit down outside Westminster for a few hours?

Or has there been one and it just didn't get reported in the news?

I went to a massive one once many years ago (against the criminal justice bill) - will politicians sit up and take notice if women just go on strike for a day from whatever and make it clear that our sex based rights matter and they'd better do something about protecting them asap.

And I love the idea of a peaceful picnic for the reasons outlined by a pp

Yes, peaceful picnic, with the polite request for recognition of sex based rights and needs for privacy, safety and dignity based on sex not gender.

I’m in, but will need lots of loos, cake and tea.

If I rock up by myself can I come and sit with you lot? I'll bring plenty of snacks

With it being a women’s meet I’m sure there will be plenty of snacks, drinks, baby wipes and pac-a-Mac’s !
Can we have a Northern one too ?

It will indeed be a most Sensible Sit In with the Best Cakes.

Some loon will still twist it to be a Nazi Rally.

Ah, Pac-a-macs! And Rainmates! My granny always had them in her handbag.

I'm disabled and wouldn't cope with the fatigue of getting/being there and also need accessible loos close by

But they keep closing public loos.

But would love to participate if a screen to check in was organised.

Tbh given the amount of violence that has been aimed at women for daring to speak up about women's rights Vs the TRAs I don't think it would be a bad idea and may actually make the point more for ALL women to check in via screen for their own safety against the risk of violence and retaliation by biological men - a big giant screen outside- a really heavy difficult to shut down screen where voices can't easily be silenced 🔕

I’d do it

Ooh yes pac-a-Mac, good plan.
I’ll bring flapjacks

It would be great

This was Iceland - estimated 90% of women took part
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1975_Icelandic_women%27s_strike

small country though

@Appleofmyeye2023

Thank you! It's been bugging me I couldn't remember that

Great idea. Can I bring a folding chair?

Looks like it's done internationally on international woman's day. A quick look at the British strike website has trans women listed as some of the most vulnerable. So they are captured.

I can continue the vigil waiting for someone to tell me what JKR said that was wrong.

I must be able to find the day I started it.

Yes, excellent idea. And huge washing lines / rope lines could be strung up, on private properties if necessary, where letters and cards from women could be pegged out containing their messages of support, fears and concerns for women's rights and children's safeguarding, in their own handwriting maybe to reinforce authenticity but noting that giving their full names and addresses is far too dangerous for themselves and their families.

I drag myself into central London most workdays so this would be easy for me. I can bring fruit cake and Tunnocks teacakes and possibly gin.

PS. When I say possibly, I do mean certainly.

Years after that Women's Place meeting Lianne remains my major girl crush!

I've often thought it needs to be a country wide thing - everyone sit in front of their local train station (or some other building that is replicated all over the country - town halls could be an alternative) at a certain time on a given date in the year. Just to show how many gender critical women there are in this country (and with the added bonus of meeting other GC women too).

If there were lots of smaller ones in all the towns and cities it would hopefully get on more TV channels.

That’s a good idea
we could all sit in at our local town hall/city hall, same date and time

I'm in.

Is there any way at all to make this so that women can join in and be counted from home, bearing in mind some of us physically cannot get to these places regardless of how passionately we want to? And that practicality of barriers, carer responsibilities, childcare, yada yada, are in many ways why women are not able to turn out in the numbers and strengths that would get political attention?

Please. All groups, all organisations, can we put everything down but that women, actual women, are fucked off with this to the last decimal place now, and have a walloping great sit in somewhere?

There will be much rainbow haired black masked screaming, hitting and gluing self to things of course, but many of us manage worse at home on a daily basis. I usually find a pocket full of chocolate buttons to hand out at strategic intervals helps.

Genius idea.

Yes, Like 'The Great Dial In'.

Turn up, zoom, face time, send a postcard, take a ribbon(s) to the town hall or local cemetery where a woman of note is buried, just make a gesture - on a national scale.

Leave a ribbon, or a pebble, or a letter, or a clue to the start of a treasure hunt. Just make that gesture.