London鈥檚 police department is under scrutiny for the way officers handled some participants at an unofficial vigil Saturday night for a London woman whose death led to murder charges against a fellow officer and spurred a national conversation about violence against women in the U.K.
Hundreds of people disregarded a judge's ruling and police requests by gathering at Clapham Common in
Everard disappeared while walking home from a friend鈥檚 apartment at about 10:30 p.m. and was found dead a week later. The slaying sent shockwaves across the U.K. because a Metropolitan Police officer is charged with her kidnapping and murder.
Video of Saturday's informal vigil turned rally showed officers from the same police force tussling with participants as they pushed their way through the crowd. At one point, several male officers grabbed hold of several women and pulled them away in handcuffs to screaming and shouting from onlookers, Britain's Press Association reported.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan decried the police actions.
鈥淭he police have a responsibility to enforce Covid laws, but from images I鈥檝e seen it鈥檚 clear the response was at times neither appropriate nor proportionate,鈥� Khan said on Twitter.
Home Secretary Priti Patel tweeted that she had asked the Metropolitan Police for a full report on what happened.
The gathering happened hours after London constable Wayne Couzens, 48, appeared in court for the first time since his arrest in Everard's death. As Metropolitan Police officers approached the Clapham Common bandstand on Saturday evening, boos, jeers and shouts of 鈥淪hame on you鈥� came from the crowd, according to the Press Association.
Organizers had hoped to hold 鈥淩eclaim the Streets鈥� vigils in Everard鈥檚 memory at the south London location and in other U.K. cities on Saturday but
Hundreds of people showed up nonetheless. Before police moved in, many participants laid flowers at the park bandstand. Among them was Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, who was seen pausing for a moment in front of the sea of flowers.
Other people held signs reading 鈥淲e will not be silenced鈥� and 鈥淪he was just walking home,鈥� and the crowd chanted, 鈥淪isters united will never be defeated.鈥�
In the wake of Everard鈥檚 disappearance and killing, many women have taken to social media to share their own experiences of being threatened or attacked while walking outside.
A 33-year-old nurse who works in the Clapham area, Mel Clarke, said she felt 鈥渧ery conflicted鈥� about attending Saturday's gathering because of pandemic restrictions, but in the end "just felt that I needed to be here.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 really pleased that there are a lot of men here. I hope that this is kind of an opportunity for men to learn how women feel, how vulnerable we are," Clarke said. 鈥淚 hope that this is the start of justice being served for Sarah.鈥�
The Metropolitan Police has expressed shock and horror that one of its own was a suspect in the case. The London police force said Couzens joined its ranks in 2018 and most recently served in the parliamentary and diplomatic protection command, an armed unit responsible for guarding embassies in the capital and Parliament.
During his court appearance earlier in the day, Couzens stood wearing a gray tracksuit as the charges were read to him. He was remanded into custody and has another appearance scheduled Tuesday at London鈥檚 Central Criminal Court.
Everard's body was found hidden in an area of woodland in Kent, more than 50 miles southeast of London, on Wednesday, a week after she went missing. A post-mortem examination is underway, police said Friday.
TV and radio presenter Sandi Toksvig said at the start of a vigil held online Saturday that a 鈥渃ultural shift about how women are viewed and treated both in the public and private space鈥� was needed.
鈥淚 am filled in equal measure with profound sorrow and rage, and I know there are many who share this rage, and I think it is entirely justifiable," Toksvig said. "But I also know that it will harm rather than help us if we don鈥檛 try and direct that anger to good purpose.鈥�
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This version has been corrected to show that Home Secretary Patel is a woman.
Sylvia Hui, The Associated Press
