Charles Godfrey
Ma’am. As an officer of the law who has been put on the streets to protect the nation, I must arrest you.
Emmeline Pankhurst
By ‘protect the nation,’ you mean the men in this nation, of course…
Charles
Indeed. Well, and the women. We men may run the nation but we are here to protect you. And need I remind you, women are not meant to be violent.
Emmeline
We do not need your protection. And may I remind you, sir, that women have failed to get the vote because women have failed to adopt the agitation used by men.
Charles
The men who break the law are known as criminals. And you are now a criminal too.
Emmeline
We are here, not because we are law-breakers. We are here in our efforts to become law-makers.
Charles
Ha! Good luck with that. You’ll be in the old Calaboose. Not sure how you or your fellow mob intend to do that from behind bars.
Emmeline
We’ll do what we must. We’ll go on hunger strike ‘til you let us out or notice the difference between political protestors and criminals, at the very least. We will die on this hill, should we need to.
Charles
You realise your little women’s gathering will be disbanded soon enough, yes?
Emmeline
We won’t stop till we have the same voting rights as men. It cannot continue like this. There’s a long road ahead of us but if rowdy is the only way to get men to notice us, then rowdy it is.
Charles
Ha! The queen doesn’t even agree with your unwomanly tactics. She thinks the women’s union—or whatever you call yourselves—is just ridiculous. And she, as you no doubt have noticed, is also a woman!
Emmeline
A woman who already has sway over the laws in this nation, that is. What interest should she have in helping anyone else?
Charles
Good luck getting out of here with that attitude.
Emmeline
Oh, I do assure you, guard… even after my release, I will be back again shortly. As will my comrades. We won’t stop till we get what we’re here for. This is about deeds, not words.
Charles
Well, good luck with that. You’ll rot away in here.
Emmeline
Likely. But as long we are equals in the end, what does it matter?
