Women protesters crash BAFTA 2018

A group of women protesters wearing “Time's Up Theresa” T-shirts invaded the red carpet at the 71st British Academy Film Awards organised by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).

They hijacked the Time's Up movement, which came to the fore in the wake of the Hollywood sexual harassment scandal, by wearing the t-shirts. Protesting against domestic violence and calling on the British Prime Minister Theresa May, to do more.

Wearing black and purple tops that read "Times UP Theresa," about a dozen protesters from Sisters Uncut linked arms and lined up and even lay down on the red carpet at the Royal Albert Hall in London before the ceremony on Sunday. 

"Sisters Uncut stormed the BAFTA red carpet to protest against British Prime Minister Theresa May's upcoming Domestic Violence and Abuse Bill, which they say will criminalize survivors while distracting from devastating funding cuts to domestic violence services nationwide," the group said in a press release, adding that the U.K. leader's domestic violence policies will leave survivors "locked up in prison, locked out of refuges, and locked in to violent relationships."

One of the protesters Ana Kaur said: "We are in solidarity with the Time's Up campaign. We recognise that gender-based violence happens everywhere, and that to disclose abuse requires support as well as calling Time's Up on individual perpetrators, we have to call Time's Up on our government for failing to provide us with real options and support.”

Several female stars brought feminist activists and anti-violence campaigners as guests. Men showed solidarity with Time's Up lapel pins. The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, defied the Times's Up protest, by wearing a dark green dress, instead of black worn by the celebrities attending the ceremony.

Film stars and directors made the one-colour statement to show support for the fight against sexual harassment against women, however, only the ribbon around Middleton's Jenny Packham dress was black.

Kristin Scott Thomas, a supporting actress nominee for "Darkest Hour", praised the conversation about misconduct that has started in the entertainment industry, but said a tougher task will be "moving it from conversation to action".