A women's campaign group have draped t-shirts on the new Emmeline Pankhurst statue and others across Greater Manchester.

The t-shirts were left overnight on the Pankhurst statue on Monday, as well as the Annie Kenney statue in Oldham.

A t-shirt was also seen draped over the arm of Minerva, on the Duke of Wellington monument, and on the Queen Victoria statue in Piccadilly Gardens.

The black t-shirts have printed on front 'Woman, noun. An adult human female', which has become a phrase adopted by some campaigners.

T-shirts have also been left on statues of women across the UK, including the Cilla Black statue in Liverpool, a Queen Victoria statue in Brighton and the 1839 Newport Rising Statue in Newport.

The group ReSisters United have since claimed responsibility for leaving the t-shirts. On their website they say they were formed because they recognise the assault on their “hard-won rights and freedoms that gender identity ideology could pose”. Some believe their stance is anti-transgender.

A tweet from the group said: "Overnight, women all over the UK came together, organised with one purpose - to define ourselves and our boundaries. Woman is not a feeling."

A press release issued by the group said: "ReSisters United members asserted the action was done in order to reclaim the right for women to describe themselves as adult human females. Debate has swirled around the use of this dictionary definition in recent months, with some people claiming a woman is not necessarily female, and that a woman might even have a male body.

"Only a week ago, Women’s March London - ostensibly a woman-friendly organisation - referred to female MPs as “menstruators” rather than women. Other public bodies, government documents and lobbying groups are also removing the word “woman” to be replaced with phrases such as "cervix havers" and “chest feeders”.

"ReSisters United reported that in recent years, women who continue to affirm that only women are female have been bullied, censored, assaulted and silenced. Last September, Leeds City Council cancelled a Woman’s Place UK (WPUK) meeting last-minute. As described by WPUK, “the council deliberately breached our rights to freedom of expression and assembly – rights which the council are by law bound to uphold and protect.”

"In light of this event and many others, members of ReSisters United which includes Manchester ReSisters, felt they had no choice but to take their message to the streets, and are determined to continue with similar actions in future."

A spokeswoman for ReSisters United added: “In today’s climate of hyper political correctness, the factual definition of woman has become taboo.

"With this action we send the message that women have the right to speak about our biology without shame, fear or retribution.

"As Manchester’s own Emmeline said 'Deeds, not words', was to be our permanent motto. As long as women consent to be unjustly governed, they will be; but directly women say: 'We withhold our consent', we will not be governed any longer as long as government is unjust.”

The t-shirts have been condemned by the LGBTIQ+ community, who said they do not represent Manchester, and councillors at Manchester City Council.

Joni Grace Indolent, an illustrator who identifies as a trans-gender female, removed the t-shirt from the Pankhurst statue.

She told the M.E.N: "I saw they had put one on the new Emmeline Pankhurst statue in Manchester.

"I set off for work a little bit earlier. I wanted to have the pleasure of taking it off.

"It doesn't belong anywhere in this city. I think the activists don't understand what they are getting into.

"I feel embarrassed for them, they've gone to a lot of trouble. There is Velcro to strap it on.

"It is very passive aggressive, it is a phrase used for the anti-transgender narrative.

"Not in my city. I have got children, daughters, I want them to feel that they have the right to be exactly who they want to be."

Joni added: "I brought my partner and two daughters into the city on Saturday. One of the main reasons was that they had not seen the Emmeline Pankhurst statue yet.

"It was a really proud moment and I feel really lucky that this city is our home. I would have been devastated if her statue was defaced in such a hateful manner."

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Councillor Bev Craig, Lead Member for LGBT women, at Manchester City Council, said: "Manchester has a long and proud history of acceptance and respect. The diversity of everyone who lives, works and socialises here is at the very heart of our city and what makes Manchester tick.

"We won't tolerate hate or prejudice of any kind in our city. Ahead of LGBT history month we are reminded of the fight against prejudice and we stand alongside the trans community in condemning Transphobia whenever it arises."