Suffragette writer Abi Morgan praises premiere protesters for their ‘spirit of Pankhurst’

Protest group Sisters Uncut leapt on to the red carpet and delayed the film's premiere
In praise: Abi Morgan with the cast of the new film
Ian West/PA
Robert Dex @RobDexES8 October 2015
The Weekender

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Suffragette writer Abi Morgan said the protesters who gatecrashed her film’s premiere had the “spirit” of Emmeline Pankhurst, as she revealed she used declassified records of police interrogations of the original campaigners to create her characters.

The film stars Carey Mulligan and Anne-Marie Duff as East End laundry workers drawn into the movement demanding votes for women by Pankhurst, played by Meryl Streep.

Its premiere in Leicester Square, which launched the London Film Festival, was delayed as protest group Sisters Uncut leapt on to the red carpet and chanted slogans including “dead women can’t vote”, a protest against cuts to services for victims of domestic violence.

Praising the protest, Morgan said: “I thought that was the spirit of Emmeline Pankhurst. I thought it was fantastic, particularly with the cause they seem to be fighting for.”

Suffragette Premiere at 59th BFI London Film Festival

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Speaking about the details that she discovered in the police transcripts, Morgan said: “We were able to take on board the depth and the extent of the persecution of these women.”

The London Film Festival runs until October 18, with 240 films.​

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