The official vigil was cancelled
Women gathered in large numbers on Clapham Common on Saturday afternoon to pay tribute to Sarah Everard, but a peaceful demonstration of grief turned sour after police tried to silence speakers at the bandstand.
Organisers of the Reclaim These Streets vigil had to cancel their official event after losing a legal battle with the Met Police, who RCS claimed were not cooperative in trying to find a safe solution.
But that did not stop hundreds of women in south London gathering at Clapham Common bandstand to lay flowers in tribute to the 33-year-old Sarah Everard, who was abducted last week and murdered.
A serving Met Police officer has been charged for her kidnap and murder, and will stand trial at the Old Bailey on March 16.
A peaceful protest, intended for women to be able to grieve a death that has affected everybody this week, took a turn when police tried to instruct attendees to go home.
Placards were held aloft and laid among the flowers by grieving protestors, displaying slogans such as “Enough is enough,” “defund the police,” and “I need to be able to tell my children I did not stay silent.”
Police officers were heard telling protestors they needed to go home, with protestors responding by singing “no justice, no peace fuck the police.
Videos have emerged of officers physically removing protestors gathered peacefully on the bandstand.
🔴LIVE: Women protesters are violently snatched by Police
PROTEST FOR WOMEN SAFETY – Clapham Common | London
Watch now: https://t.co/qe8Hc0q6xi#LIVE #Livestream #London #SarahEverard #Freedom #ReclaimTheStreets #Women #WomenSafety #arrest #violentarrest #violentpolice #Violence pic.twitter.com/RwBop2MsHf— Subject Access (@subjectaccesss) March 13, 2021
Police are trying to shut down speakers at Clapham Common vigil for Sarah Everard pic.twitter.com/g3qFmmbcIf
— Oli Dugmore (@OliDugmore) March 13, 2021
https://twitter.com/OliDugmore/status/1370811067920703490?s=20
Unnecessary heavy police presence at #SarahEverard vigil.
Tensions are high because #Sarah was allegedly murdered by a metropolitan police officer so you would think they would handle this vigil with some sensitivity. #notallmenbutallwomen pic.twitter.com/ezi3YcHcao
— Ahmed Kaballo (@AhmedKaballo) March 13, 2021
As women tried to speak to the crowd who had gathered peacefully, police officers were seen attempting to prevent them from making speeches.
At the vigil for Sarah in Clapham. Police interfering leading everyone to boo and chanting “let her speak”. #SarahEverard pic.twitter.com/G3hfH0u8ms
— Murad Merali 🇾🇪🇵🇸 (@MuradMerali) March 13, 2021
The crowd responded by chanting “let her speak,” as well as “no justice, no peace, fuck the police.”
Women chant “arrest your own” at police officers breaking up Sarah Everard vigil pic.twitter.com/efwgGuYtk3
— Oli Dugmore (@OliDugmore) March 13, 2021
Contrast the policing of this with the far right demo this summer, utterly contemptible pic.twitter.com/K6NblhuCOD
— Oli Dugmore (@OliDugmore) March 13, 2021
