A century ago, the state branded them criminals, misfits, and threats to public order. Today, their legacy is cynically paraded by the very government seeking to outlaw the methods they made famous. The suffragettes are being used as a political pawn in a deeply dishonest game.
The government’s latest move isn’t just political posturing; it’s a deliberate and dangerous rewriting of history. Ministers now cite the noble cause of the suffragettes to justify the Public Order Act, a draconian piece of legislation designed to stifle dissent and make effective protest a criminal offence.
A Cynical Ploy to Silence Dissent
This isn't about protecting public order; it's about insulating those in power from public outrage. The new laws create a regime where protest is only permissible as long as it is passive, polite, and easily ignored. The very essence of protest—to disrupt, to be heard, to force an issue onto the agenda—is being systematically erased.
The suffragettes didn’t win the vote by writing sternly worded letters or holding politely sanctioned rallies in designated ‘free speech zones’. They won through relentless, disruptive, and often illegal direct action. They chained themselves to railings, smashed windows, and planted bombs. By the standards of the new legislation, their leaders would be jailed for years, not celebrated as national heroes.
The Chilling Effect on Democracy
The implications stretch far beyond any single issue. These laws are a blanket tool to crush any movement that dares to challenge the status quo with anything more than a whisper. From environmental activists to anti-racism campaigners, the state has handed itself the power to effectively neuter opposition.
This creates a chilling effect, where the fear of severe legal repercussions—including massive fines and lengthy prison sentences—deters people from exercising their fundamental democratic right to assemble and object. It is the criminalisation of dissent itself.
A Betrayal of History's Greatest Campaigners
The government’s attempt to claim the suffragettes’ legacy is perhaps the most grotesque part of this charade. It is a breathtaking act of historical illiteracy and bad faith. To celebrate their ends while criminalising their means is an insult to their memory and to the intelligence of the public.
It reveals a government that fears its people, that is terrified of being held to account by a passionate and determined citizenry. They are building a legal fortress around themselves, and in the process, they are demolishing a pillar of British democracy. The right to protest is not a gift from the state; it is a hard-won freedom, paid for by the very ‘criminals’ this government now claims to admire.
