A Meeting to be Addressed by the 'Grille' Prisoners, St. James's Hall, Great Portland Street, Women's Freedom League

Printed handbill announcing a meeting to be addressed by the 'Grille Prisoners' on Wednesday December 9th 1908. Printed in the green, gold and white colour scheme of the Women's Freedom League this meeting was held to commemorate the release from Holloway prison of the Suffragette Muriel Matters and others who had taken part in the ‘Grille Incident’ at the House of Commons on 28th October 1908. On this night three members of the Women’s Freedom League – Muriel Matters, Violet Tillard and Helen Fox entered the Ladies’ Gallery at the House of Commons. As Matters and Fox chained themselves to the Grille of the Gallery proclaiming ‘Votes for Women’, Violet Tillard lowered a banner to the MPs below. Unable to undo the chains attaching Matters and Fox to the Grille the police were forced to remove the Suffragettes to a nearby room with the grille still attached where a blacksmith was called to detach the women. On their release without charge the women joined other members of the Women’s Freedom League protesting outside the Commons. Here Muriel Matters became one of 14 members of the Women’s Freedom League arrested on a charge of obstruction. Matters, found guilty was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment in Holloway. The flyer is printed in the gold, green and white colour scheme of the Women's Freedom League.
The flyer notes that Muriel was due to speak at the event held at St James's Hall, Great Portland Street.