LONDON -- Stars of Fifty Shades of Grey were met with banners, placards and protestors at the London premiere of the film Thursday night.
"CHRISTIAN: PREDATOR NOT PROTECTOR," read one sign held by a woman wearing a T-shirt that described the film as domestic violence.
The plot of Fifty Shades of Grey, which released Friday in movie theatres, centres on male lead Christian Grey's controlling and dominant relationship with protagonist Anastasia Steele, which critics say glamorises violence towards women.
Tonight, we told the world that stalking, coercion, threats &unwanted control aren't "romance" & that 50Shades is NOT BDSM. #50ShadesIsAbuse— 50 Shades is abuse (@50shadesabuse) February 12, 2015
Protestors got their signs into the event's press coverage:
#BlueAboutGrey at the #50Shades #London premiere #JamieDornan @50shadesabuse #ItsOnUs @JamieDornan pic.twitter.com/iOuAIjDywb— Justice Candour (@JusticeCandour) February 13, 2015
Even sharing the front page of one paper's coverage of the film opening:
Shortly after E.L. James, the author of the book the film is based on, arrived at the premiere, the protestors along with their flyers and banners were removed by security.
When asked about the criticism levelled at the film and the book, James told the BBC:
"Why do you think there are so many women here if it's about domestic abuse and domestic violence? Don't get me started. No it's not - OK?"
Director Sam Taylor-Johnson also rejected protestors assertions.
"Every sexual encounter that she has with Christian is one that she's gone into willingly and complicity until the moment he crosses a line," she said.
"And when he crosses that line it's a very firm no and she has the final word - she has all the power and he's the vulnerable one so I don't think there's any glamorisation of it."
Last week a grassroots campaign around #50dollarsnot50shades asked the public to skip watching the movie and instead give the $50 (£33) they would have spent on tickets, food and drinks to a domestic violence shelter or agency.