The group said it had sought to make contact with the commissioner and had “only ever sought to be constructive”, pointing to the example of Nottingham where a vigil was able to proceed under the watch of officers. Downing Street declined to comment. Footage posted on social media shows police and mourners jostling near the Clapham … Scenes turned ugly in South London as police dragged people away from a … Labour MP Nadia Whittome speaks at the Parliament Square protest: “The scenes last night that we saw on Clapham Common show why it is so important that we resist with every ounce of strength that we have”Labour MP @NadiaWhittomeMP speaks to protesters in Parliament Square. So I appeal to people to express their sadness and their solidarity and their really strong feelings about women's safety in other ways.". I have asked the Metropolitan Police for a full report on what happened.”, Sadiq Khan said he was “urgently seeking an explanation” from Cressida Dick, the commissioner, following what he described as “unacceptable” scenes. London police stormed in to disperse crowds at a memorial for murder victim Sarah Everard last night after warnings that vigils and protests about violence against women would breach COVID-19 restrictions. Reclaim These Streets accuses commissioner of putting people at 'serious risk', Cressida Dick not considering resigning and defends Met policing, 'If it had been lawful, I'd have been there', says Cressida Dick of vigil, 'Still questions to be answered' over Met policing of vigil, home secretary says, Home secretary asks Chief Inspector of Constabulary for report on Met policing of vigil, Sadiq Khan 'not satisfied with explanation' from Met commissioner, London mayor calls for independent police investigation, says policing ‘from handbook of abusive men’, Khan and Patel rebuke Met chief over policing of Sarah Everard vigil, Woman pinned to ground at Clapham vigil says policing was ‘disgraceful’, Analysis: Cressida Dick walking a tightrope over policing of vigil, Labour to oppose bill giving police more powers to crack down on protests, scandalous police response to a public vigil. I completely recognise that they are, particularly in this last year, often finding themselves in very very difficult situations, they are policing during a pandemic. Police grabbed and dragged several women away as hundreds of mourners gathered to remember Sarah Everard on Clapham Common after a planned vigil … Your support powers our independent journalism, Available for everyone, funded by readers. I am really comfortable that we review what happened. We are urging people to go home and we thank those who have been engaging with officers and who are leaving.". There could be a large, peaceful set of vigils all over the country. Asked if she felt she owed an apology to her frontline officers, Cressida Dick said: I feel for my officers, I feel for them every day. … I have asked the Metropolitan Police for a full report on what happened. The Parliament Square crowd is now dispersing, with police officers having kept a low profile throughout the vigil. Aamna Mohdin has been speaking to people who went to vigils outside London on Saturday, with attendees saying there was a marked contrast between policing in the capital and Brighton compared with other cities. While more than 100 people defied a police request to stay away from Birmingham city centre, an hour-long gathering passed off without incident and no obvious sign of uniformed police. How could the Met have got it so wrong? These are from the Guardian’s Aamna Mohdin in Parliament Square, where a peaceful protest is under way. It’s only a few weeks since the NHS was on its knees. One minister complained of the “huge inconvenience” caused by Extinction Rebellion demonstrations, while Ms Patel has criticised Black Lives Matter events as “dreadful”. Aamna Mohdin and Damien Gayle report from Parliament Square: Reclaim These Streets has accused Cressida Dick of putting people at “serious risk” of Covid and of being “manhandled, fined and arrested” by failing to ensure peaceful vigils could be carried out with the co-operation of the Metropolitan Police. As the sun set in Clapham Common, the mood at a vigil to pay tribute to Sarah Everard also darkened, moving from sombre defiance to frantic aggression as Metropolitan Police … Regrettably, a small minority of people began chanting at officers, pushing and throwing items.”. Reclaim These streets protesters in central London have now moved on to Parliament Square, where they have congregated around the statue of the suffragist Millicent Fawcett. Police said the gathering was "unsafe", adding: "Hundreds of people are tightly packed together in breach of the regulations and risking public health. They have to make these really difficult calls and I don’t think anybody should be sitting back in an armchair and saying well that was done badly or I would’ve done it differently without actually understanding what was going through their minds. Essential news, in … Nobody wants a third wave to happen, Dick said, adding her officers have difficult calls to make every day. Patel tweeted: “Some of the footage circulating online from the vigil in Clapham is upsetting. Aima, who didn’t wish to give her last name, co-founder of All Black Lives UK, said: There was a genuine atmosphere of solidarity between all women. I reported a rape a couple years ago to Sussex police and know there’s an institutional problem. Police kept a very low profile throughout today’s vigil. Four people were arrested on suspicion of public order offences and of breaching coronavirus rules. That this brutal reaction to the women who gathered to remember her was presided over by the first female Metropolitan police commissioner and the fourth female home secretary is a bitter feminist irony. I have asked the Metropolitan Police for a full report on what happened. WEST END FINAL. To this long list we must now add the scandalous police response to a public vigil held on Clapham Common, south London, marking the disappearance and death of Sarah Everard. Very disappointing from Scotland Yard.". 13 March 2021. By . The Met also declined to comment on claims local officers were overruled. The actions of the Metropolitan Police have now prompted Home Secretary Priti Patel to demand a “full report” on the incident. Several demonstrators were forcibly pulled away while at least one young woman was restrained on the floor by two officers. In her statement, Cressida Dick said the review into the policing of Saturday’s vigil would be “good for public confidence”. I share their anger and upset at how this has been handled. Here is some of the full text from Cressida Dick’s statement just now. Several women were allowed to make their speeches at Parliament Square before organisers told the crowd to leave. “The pandemic is not over,” she said. Hundreds more protested today. Ken Marsh, the chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said 26 officers were assaulted while policing the vigil on Clapham Common last night and has called widespread criticism of … Mark White Home affairs correspondent @skymarkwhite A vigil by Reclaim These Streets campaigners had been due to take place at Clapham Common before being banned by police and the Duchess’s visit … She said: "I know many people want to come together to express that sadness together... and I completely understand that desire but we are still in a global pandemic and such a gathering would be unlawful and would be unsafe. Arrests as protesters clash with police at Sarah Everard vigil in Clapham. She said: “Those who gathered were spoken to by officers on a number of occasions and over an extended period of time. Labour leader Keir Starmer described the scenes as "deeply disturbing". Her body was found in a large bag in an area of woodland in Ashford, Kent, on Wednesday. Close . ", Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader, called on Ms Dick to "consider her position", and added: "This was a complete abject tactical and moral failure on the part of the police.”, Local MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy claimed that officers in the borough had attempted to reach agreement with the organisers "but were overruled from high up". Wayne Couzens, a serving Metropolitan Police constable, is charged with kidnapping and murdering the 33-year-old marketing executive. Women and men stood quietly listening as the names of women killed by their partners, or who have died in UK prisons, were read out. People could be heard shouting "shame on you" and "you are scum" at the police, while one woman screamed, "You're supposed to protect us". Met Police chief Cressida Dick faces calls to resign as Home Secretary Priti Patel demanded a 'full report' after cops stormed mourners at the Sarah Everard vigil on Clapham Common. This is the response. Sisters Uncut, the feminist, women-led protest group that called today’s protest have explicitly linked it to the passage of the police, crime, sentencing and courts bill, which will be debated in parliament on Monday. Stevenson, 28, a physics student from Southend in Essex, said she would like to “have a conversation” with the Metropolitan police commissioner, Cressida Dick, adding: “I think dialogue is very important in this case.”. COPS stormed tearful mourners last night after hundreds flocked to the Sarah Everard vigil on Clapham Common. The anger sparked by images of police pinning protesters to the floor at Clapham Common in London yesterday is matched for many by sheer disbelief. Ms Patel, the home secretary, tweeted: “Some of the footage circulating online from the vigil in Clapham is upsetting. Metropolitan Police … Most of them would have been at those vigils and I guarantee also that my officers up and down London and beyond, if they weren’t working, will have been thinking of Sarah at 9:30pm last night, they will have been lighting their candles or pausing, and it’s something we care about very, very deeply. Chants of “this is the beginning” with the crowd invited to attend an online meeting on Thursday for next steps. I think the police were fearful of harassing us at the protest, they were aggressive at the beginning but I think that they saw how angry and powerful we were and I guess they got scared, with the bad press today. One person who attended the unofficial vigil in Clapham on Saturday evening said there was an "unnecessary heavy police presence" and the Met should have handled the … Protesters and police scuffle after Sarah Everard vigil, A well-wisher places flowers at a bandstand, A woman cries at a memorial site at the Clapham Common Bandstand, A group of women hug as they stand in front of tributes for Sarah Everard, A photograph of Sarah Everard is left with tributes to her at the bandstand on Clapham Common, Stones with signatures on them lie at a memorial site at the Clapham Common Bandstand, Two women embrace as they stand before tributes for Sarah Everard, People gather at a memorial site in Clapham Common Bandstand, People gather to lay flowers and pay their respects, A message is seen among the flowers on Clapham Common, People mourn at a memorial site at the Clapham Common Bandstand, Members of the public surround tributes for Sarah Everard at the bandstand on Clapham Common, Well-wishers make their way towards a band-stand, People in the crowd turn on their phone torches, Well-wishers shout slogans as they gather, {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}}, Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil, Patel demands report on Metropolitan Police response to Everard vigil, Duchess of Cambridge visits Clapham Common to pay tribute to Sarah Everard, Wayne Couzens appears in court charged with murder and kidnap, CPS vows to increase prosecutions for violence against women, New crackdown on Extinction Rebellion and Black Lives Matter needed ‘due to huge inconvenience’, as the government planned a crackdown on protests, including new requirements for notifying police and keeping noise low, Save up to 20% on early 2021 holidays with Booking.com discounts, Save an extra 10% on women's styles from Principles with this Debenhams discount code, Exclusive Ideal World promo code: 20% saving on fitness, Discounts of up to 70% on super value goods with this AliExpress promo, Enjoy extra 10% off selected LG smart TVs with Argos discount code. Crowds had been planning to meet in Clapham … The crowd had defied warnings not to attend because of coronavirus restrictions, after the official Reclaim These Streets event was cancelled and replaced with a doorstep and online vigil. Fellow Tory MP James Wild said: "Policing is by consent. Clashes have broken out between police and people attending a gathering for Sarah Everard in London, as virtual and doorstep vigils are held across the UK. Tonight the Met Police have failed & the scenes of women being manhandled at a vigil are appalling. They have to make these really difficult calls and I don’t think anybody should be sitting back in an armchair and saying ‘well that was done badly’ or ‘I would have done it differently’ without actually understanding what was going through their minds. That’s why this morning I said, from what I can tell, I wasn’t there, but from what I can tell, my officers - in a very difficult position, as they have been again and again in the last year policing within coronavirus restrictions, having to uphold the law, having to be impartial, having to be fair. Sarah Everard's vigil had been planned to take place at 6pm on Saturday, March 13 at Clapham Common. A minute’s silence was held in memory of Everard, 33, whose body was found in woodland in Kent. Metropolitan Police have defended their handling of a vigil in memory of Sarah Everard amid pressure to explain their actions following the event. A serving Met officer has been charged with her murder. Clashes have broken out between police and mourners at a vigil for Sarah Everard. First published on Sun 14 Mar 2021 08.34 GMT. BRITS have vowed to still attend a vigil for tragic Sarah Everard tonight after organisers cancelled the event. Commander Catherine Roper, Metropolitan Police lead for community engagement, said the force took “no joy” in the cancellation of the Clapham vigil but insisted it was the “right thing to do”. The police kept their distance from the crowd at the latest event. The force used by police officers during the Sarah Everard vigil at Clapham Common was an "overreaction", an Essex MP has said. The organisers had an open mic and people came on stage and speak about their experiences with police and, or their experiences of being a woman. The Met released a statement about the Clapham vigil shortly before 1am on Sunday. Indeed, if it had been lawful, I’d have been there, I’d have been at a vigil. In her statement earlier, Cressida Dick said she welcomes, and is “very comfortable” with, a review into the events at the Sarah Everard vigil on Saturday. There was singing and tears; it was really very moving. In any event, the police response should always be proportionate; this was anything but. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. All the women and men of the Met are outraged at what has happened and they’re working as hard as they can to get justice for Sarah. Ms Ball added that officers had a “difficult decision” to make after some people at the memorial “began to gather close to the bandstand” to listen to speeches at about 6pm. Mayor of London criticises ‘unacceptable’ scenes as officers arrest demonstrators, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. She added that had we not been in a time of coronavirus, officers would have been at vigils up and down the country themselves. Sarah Everard Clapham vigil organisers, Reclaim These Streets, say police turned down repeated attempts to negotiate a compromise. Hundreds took part in the protest over the police’s handing of vigil at Parliament Square: The protest dispersed peacefully a couple of hours after it started – a markedly different end to yesterday’s vigil which saw arrests and accusations the Met Police manhandled women. Dick ‘not considering position’; investigations ordered by Priti Patel and Sadiq Khan; government adviser says policing ‘from handbook of abusive men’, Clea Skopeliti (now); The vigil … In a letter to the commissioner posted on Twitter, the campaign group said: “We implore you to change your approach and work with us to ensure that any future vigils can be safe, lawful and appropriate.”, Dear Commissioner Dick @metpoliceuk, please see our response to your statement today #Reclaimthesestreets pic.twitter.com/bF88tBvI04. Home Secretary Priti Patel said: "Some of the footage circulating online from the vigil in Clapham is upsetting. Asked what she thought when she saw the pictures of the policing at the vigil, she said: I wouldn’t have wanted to see a vigil in memory of Sarah end with those scenes. After a 24 hours that saw the judgment of her force widely questioned by the home secretary, leader of the opposition, mayor of London, backbenchers and campaigners, the Met commissioner seemed to dismiss critics and said the demands her officers faced were not understood. pic.twitter.com/3xy8Mjh3AV. © 2021 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. There were six police vans parked outside Westminster tube station but officers largely remained inside them. The vast majority of attendees were masked and acting responsibly. Ms Patel’s comments came as the government planned a crackdown on protests, including new requirements for notifying police and keeping noise low. Sarah Everard mourners arrested by London police while attending Clapham Common vigil. In Parliament Square, protesters chanted “kill the Bill” and slogans against Priti Patel, the home secretary, who has set out a hard line on protest. Patsy Stevenson, who was photographed being pinned to the floor by two male police officers on Saturday, spoke on Sunday to condemn the policing of the vigil the previous day as “disgraceful”. This was a peaceful vigil to mourn the death of Sarah Everard and highlight endemic violence against women. And six hours of yesterday was really calm and peaceful, very few police officers around, respectful, people laying flowers, not gathering, and a vigil that did not breach the regulations. In it, assistant commissioner Helen Ball said officers had acted responsibly to protect public health. pic.twitter.com/yw007qm5yr, An impassioned speech by one of the co-founders of ABLUK, the group behind many BLM protests last summer https://t.co/wOtSWbmkhU, Fists go up during the minute silence held in memory of Sarah Everard outside Parliament Square. A vigil was held last night on Clapham Common to both honour the memory of Sarah Everard and to protest about the societal backdrop to her death. She said that each decision sets a precedent. A vigil for Sarah Everard in Clapham this evening has been cancelled following discussions with police, with organisers instead encouraging people to shine a light on their doorstep at 9.30pm. Crowd is now dispersing. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Clapham Common vigil open to all, with attenders told to observe social distancing and wear a mask Last modified on Thu 11 Mar 2021 08.19 EST A vigil … People clash with police as they gather in Clapham Common, London, after the Reclaim These Streets vigil for Sarah Everard was officially cancelled. It’s worth saying, of course, I fully understand the strength of feeling I think as a woman hearing from people about their experiences in the past and what they feel about what happened to Sarah and what has been going on, I understand why so many people wanted to come and pay their respects and make a statement about this.

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