During 1932, local dockers marched in opposition to ships sending arms to Japan, which had just invaded Manchuria. After one demonstration in Woolwich, both Kath and Sandy spoke; police charged the crowd and Sandy was hospitalised. A larger protest meeting was held the following day on the Deptford Broadway, with Kath calling for the inspector in charge at the original demonstration to be sacked. In December, Kath was charged with disturbing the peace over her speeches; she would not accept a condition of being bound over to the keep the peace, so was instead sentenced to six months in Holloway Prison.