Black Friday

Friday 18th November 1910

Christabel Pankhurst had previously warned WSPU followers that militancy would be resumed should the 1910 Conciliation Bill fail. On the 14th November 1910 her despair was evident when she addressed a mass meeting stating 'the truce had taught the suffragettes the absolute necessity of militancy' concluding that it was 'no time for rosewater and kid-glove methods' (Van Wingerden, 1999, p.123).

On the 18th November 1910, later to become known as 'Black Friday', approximately 300 women 'proceeded to the House of Commons in detachments, and, at intervals, rushed the house' (Van Wingerden, 1999, p.123). It was the first suffragette protest that was met with police violence and over 200 were arrested and many mishandled. (Conner, 2010).

Scenes of violence from Black Friday.

(http://www.hastingspress.co.uk/history/elsie.htm, http://www.sharonpavey.org/black-friday/, http://www.hastingspress.co.uk/history/sufpix.htm)

The very next day, on Saturday 19th November 1910, the following article was published in The Times newspaper:

"The suffrage extremists resumed their “militant” policy yesterday with a continuous series of attempts to force a way to the House of Commons in support of a deputation which they knew would not be received.Several of the police had their helmets knocked off in carrying out their duty, one was disabled by a kick on the ankle, one was cut on the face by a belt,and one had his hand cut. As a rule they kept their tempers very well, but their method of shoving back the raiders lacked nothing in vigour. They were at any rate kept warm by the exercise, and so were the ladies who flung themselves against the defending lines” (The Times, 19th November 2010).

The violent scenes of Black Friday led the government condemning the day as a 'PR disaster' with many suffragettes keen to tell their story. Suffragette Ada Cecil Wright remembers her experience of Black Friday;

"Orders had been given at the W.S.P.U headquarters that there was
to be no retreat. It was a terrible day, and we were battered by the 
Police all day long. The Police rode at us with their horses, so I 
caught hold of the reigns of one of their horses, and would not let go. 
A policeman caught hold of my arm, and twisted it round and round
until I felt the bone almost breaking,I sank to the pavement helpless"   

(Van Wingerden, 1999, p.124). 

Due to the embarrassing aftermath 'Asquith was forced to promise a Suffrage Bill in his next election campaign' (Conner, 2010).