Activist group Sisters Uncut have stormed the Baftas red carpet in protest of the Conservative government’s domestic violence policies.
Members of the feminist direct action group linked arms on the red carpet at the Royal Albert Hall, wearing T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan “Time’s Up, Theresa”. The protesters remained on the red carpet for several minutes before being led away by police. No arrests were made.
In a statement, the group said that the protest was in response to the forthcoming domestic violence bill, which Theresa May has said will deliver more convictions for violent offenders, but which critics believe will result in an increase in the number of survivors of abuse being arrested or detained.
So...this happened today at the #EEBAFTAs ! Looks like it’s a protest against Theresa May! It happened so quick!! pic.twitter.com/yQVwtUtBPT
— 이스라엘 ⚡️ (@israelsoares003) February 18, 2018
“Sisters Uncut say that these measures skirt the government’s responsibility to support all survivors of domestic violence, leaving them locked up in prison, locked out of refuges, and locked in to violent relationships,” the statement said.
The protest was similar to one carried out by Sisters Uncut at the 2015 premiere of period drama Suffragette. That protest, for which the group lay on the floor chanting “Dead women can’t vote”, was praised by Suffragette star Helena Bonham Carter as the “perfect” response to the film.
This year’s Bafta film awards have been notable for demonstrations made by female attendees in support of the Time’s Up movement, with many stars, including Angelina Jolie and Margot Robbie, donning black to highlight sexism and gender inequality in film. Ahead of the awards, 190 British and Irish actors signed an open letter published in the Observer that calls for an end to the tolerance of sexual harassment, violence, abuse and discrimination both inside and outside the entertainment industry.
