Were the Suffragettes terrorists?

On the Rebel History Podcast!

Back in the summer of 2025, the direct action protest group Palestine Action was proscribed by the UK Government as a terrorist organisation after some of its members spray painted two RAF planes. This meant that belonging to the group or expressing support for them was illegal and could even carry a heavy sentence, leading to scenes of elderly and disabled people being carried away by police officers for holding up signs.

In November of the same year, the High Court ruled that the Government’s action was unlawful and disproportionate and the activists breathed a sigh of relief. However, when the Government recently won their appeal, the Chief Justice made some very odd remarks about the Suffragettes which seemed to suggest that she, and perhaps many people, don’t really understand exactly what this militant direct action group were really up to.

In this episode we dive deep into some of the shocking actions of the Women’s Social and Political Union and debate whether they would also be labelled as terrorists if they were around today. Do we soften and sanitise the image of the Suffragettes today to make them more palatable?