Suffragette meeting, Caxton Hall

Suffragette meeting, Caxton Hall, 29th June 1909. On the stage can be seen leaders and officials of the Women's Social and Political Union, including Emmeline Pankhurst, rousing the audience as they prepare to lead a deputation to the Prime Minister. The banners above the stage are printed with quotes from Shakespeare 'It shall appear that your demands are just' and 'Come on, brave soldiers, doubt not of the day.' Whilst the banner on the right reads 'Thro' thick and thin when we begin'. A Votes for Women bill poster in the centre of stage is printed with the headline 'Votes for Women Deputation of June 29'. The meeting began at Caxton Hall at 7.30pm. Suffragettes attending were charged an entrance fee that contributed to the WSPU 'war chest'.
The deputation led by Emmeline Pankhurst left Caxton Hall at 8pm and marched to the House of Commons with the intention of exercising the constitutional right to directly petition the King or, in this case, the King's representative Prime Minister Asquith, and demand 'votes for women'. Three minutes later all members of the audience followed the deputation to Parliament. The subsequent refusal by Asquith to agree to meet the women was greeted with outrage and, on raising her hand to deliberately strike a police inspector, Emmeline Pankhurst gave the signal for the conflict between the Suffragettes and the police to 'begin in earnest'. The resulting struggle continued for 3 hours and ended at 11pm with the arrest of 110 Suffragettes, including Emmeline Pankhurst and and several male supporters.