The Easter Rising lacked popular support but following the executions nationalist opinion began to alter. A new umbrella separatist party, Sinn Fein, was set up in 1917 and it won a number of by elections. The movement was given a considerable boost when, in March 1918, the government decided to impose conscription on Ireland. Sinn Fein took the lead in opposing conscription and reaped the benefit in the general election of December 1918 when it won 73 seats. The 45-seconds rather dark film shows people signing a petition of protest.