| Women's Sunday | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Part offirst-wave feminism | |||
 Emmeline Pankhurst andElizabeth Wolstenholme-Elmy of theWomen's Social and Political Union at the head of the procession | |||
| Date | 21 June 1908; 117 years ago (1908-06-21) | ||
| Location | Hyde Park, London, England 51°30′31″N0°09′49″W / 51.508611°N 0.163611°W /51.508611; -0.163611 | ||
| Caused by | Fight forwomen's suffrage | ||
| Methods | Marches,direct action | ||
| Resulted in | Up to 500,000 people participate | ||
| Parties | |||
| Lead figures | |||
Emmeline Pankhurst (WSPU) Prime MinisterH. H. Asquith | |||
| Preceded by:Mud March (NUWSS) | |||
Women's Sunday was asuffragette march and rally held inLondon on 21 June 1908. Organised byEmmeline Pankhurst'sWomen's Social and Political Union (WSPU) to persuade theLiberal government to supportvotes for women, it is thought to have been the largest demonstration to be held until then in the country.[1]
Up to 500,000[2] women and men from all over the country attended the event, and 30,000 women marched toHyde Park in seven processions and carried 700 banners, including one that read, "Not chivalry but justice".[3]
The event was organised byEmmeline Pethick-Lawrence, the WSPU's treasurer, and featured the WSPU colours (purple, white and green) for the first time in public.[4] Women were asked to wear white dresses, and leading up to the event, shops offered displays of clothing for attendees. TheDaily Chronicle noted: "White frocks will be prominent in the windows with a plentiful supply of dress accessories in violet and green".[5] In the two days before the event, over 10,000 scarves in the colours were sold at two shillings and elevenpence each. Men wore ties in the colours.[6]
Stewards met attendees at the stations when they arrived in London in special trains from around the country.[5] Around 30,000 women marched to Hyde Park in seven processions, each of which was headed by a chief marshal, who, in turn, led group marshals, captains and banner marshals.Emmeline Pankhurst, dressed in purple and accompanied byElizabeth Wolstenholme-Elmy, led a procession fromEuston Road. AtPaddington,Annie Kenney led women from Wales, the Midlands and the West of England.Christabel Pankhurst and Emmeline Pethick-Lawrence led a procession from theVictoria Embankment. Also, 5,000 marched fromKensington, along with five brass bands.[6]
Other attendees includedSylvia Pankhurst,Maud Pember Reeves,Mary Gawthorpe,Ethel Snowden,Keir Hardie,[6]Louie Cullen,[8]Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington,George Bernard Shaw,H. G. Wells,Thomas Hardy andIsrael Zangwill.[4][9][10] It was said that 300,000 spectators had witnessed the 700 suffragists with their embroidered banners. TheDaily Chronicle stated, "Never, has so vast a throng gathered in London to witness a parade of political forces".[7] TheStandard claimed, "From first to last it was a great meeting, daringly conceived, splendidly stage-managed, and successfully carried out. Hyde Park has probably never seen a greater crowd of people".[4]
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