Annie Kenney

Direct action began in earnest in 1905 during a political meeting in Manchester.

Christabel Pankhurst and Annie Kenney interrupted speeches by Liberal politicians, Winston Churchill and Sir Edward Grey, to ask about their stance on women's rights.

The audience was shocked by this interruption, as political meetings were typically male-only events where speakers were not questioned.

Both women were arrested after unfurling a banner and refusing to pay the resulting fines, choosing instead to go to prison to generate publicity.