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.

@MsFogi i love this idea - make it local. I also like the Icelandic strike idea. Women need to down tools all over the UK on just one day.

apparently there are around 35 million women in the uk. We somehow need to get the word out and get millions of women joining in. I have a feeling most people are still oblivious to what’s going on.

I can keep providing wine and join you again.

Oooh I just had a flashback to the old days of kids tv when they got sackloads of postcards. Something simple like that - those that support but can’t attend could send postcards and we could take the sacks with us and deliver them to MPs offices.

for the physical visible representation of women’s dissent

Just checking in as I haven’t had my invite yet… have we set a date?
late September is often pleasant weather for a picnic, and everyone settled in to the new school term
by then…

I'd be up for this. The LGB Alliance had a conference last year in October in Westminster, perhaps we could combine the two if there's another one this year.

Someone needs to do something. Women are getting right royally pissed on right now. It’s depressing, and I fear for the future for my daughters.

A women’s day of inaction. I like it. I’ll bring cake.

I am all for it. Postcards, ribbons, cake picnics, something involving no screaming threats, balaclavas, intimidation or damage, just visibility to the sane world of how many women are getting really fed up now and are prepared to act on it.

In fact sod it, in lieu of anyone having a better idea?

Let's have the women's reality lunch. Photograph your cake, if a bit of you is in sight in Suffragette colours even better, and share it to twitter, MN, your MP, local council, anyone else you can think of. Tea parties in the park, on benches, at council hall steps, but the reality is for many women with many other issues and barriers and responsibility, it'll be you in whatever two minutes you can find. If you can get dinosaurs with your cake, bonus points. We need a date and to share widely.

<waits for cake to become the new dogwhistle>

And bring and eat your own cake, unless with friends, to avoid any twits managing to shout about razorblades/hidden right wing extremists in the icing.

I'd be interested. I'd even be willing to drag my carcase down to the smoke for day. What's the cheapest way of getting there from Manchester on public transport?

I was checking what's going on for international women's day, bugger all really. Why can't we have a March? A March in March. The LGBQTetc have loads. Do you think we'd get a permit if we made it women (the cunty kind) only? Or there's a day against VAWG sometime in November. Problem for either of those times of year might be the weather.

@IcakethereforeIam the cheapest way is usually coach but you can get split advance train tickets pretty cheap too

Thing with Westminster is you have to get a licence to demonstrate in any form. There was that Mark Thomas bloke who started going repeatedly to get a licence to do random demos, I believe.

Yes we should.

Screaming is problematic for all sorts of reasons, not least that it sounds horrible. Singing in sweet contralto and soprano voices however is characteristacally female.

A March March sounds good
tho

🙄
those that can, gather in Westminster
elsewhere, short slow March to city hall and then peaceful picnic.
with a message asking for females biological needs to be protected and respected, including privacy, dignity and a right to single sex spaces.

I'll be there.

@FriendofJoanne Ok, we’re ready! You make the plan, I’ll make some flapjacks.
anyone know how to apply for permission to March at Westminster?

I’m in def x

Run it past the police first! What's the betting they decide its likely to be awfully dangerous and unlikely to be in public interest?

https://www.met.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/eo/af/events-processions/

I don’t fancy March - September when Parliament returns after Summer hols might be a lovely time to picnic….bit short notice to plan anything though and I’ve no idea how to go about it!

I will email sexmatters wrn & standing for women and hopefully one day we’ll have it.

I'm planning LWS in September, and November anyway, from Glasgow.
I have a warm coat!
I went to Glasgow in February and then Hyde Park in May.