Campaigners gathered on Wednesday night to protest against the Feminist Library closure.
Protestors outside Southwark Council, Photo Credit : David Noakes
Roughly 100 people met outside Southwark Council building to object against the eviction of the Feminist Library on Westminster Bridge road, which has housed the archives for approximately 30 years.
@feministlibrary Great turnout of support for the Feminist Library outside Southwark Council offices tonight pic.twitter.com/vsCvah0R1K
— David Noakes (@cathedralsdavid) 24 February 2016
This comes in the wake of the threatened closure by Southwark Council if rent is not increased. A petition collected 14,000 signatures to keep the library afloat.
Speeches were read aloud by the protesters; feminist literature by Alice Walker, Zadie Smith and Sylvia Plath was spoken at the demonstration.
Sarah O’Mahoney, trustee of the Feminist Library said: “The reading aloud encompassed what we’re all about, men and women coming together to celebrate equality.”
The library houses an extensive literature collection from the Women’s Liberation Movement and is fundamental in keeping the heritage of women’s history accessible to the public.
An initial eviction date was set for next Tuesday but has been extended to late April.
Library members will meet today to discuss the options for the future.
It is vital for the public to be able to access this information as it is a rich archive of women’s literature and provides cultural background to the liberating feminist movement.
