Hundreds Gather On Clapham Common Defying Police In Tribute To Sarah Everard

Hundreds Gather On Clapham Common Defying Police In Tribute To Sarah Everard.

Officers were jeered as they moved in to shut down the tribute to Sarah Everard on Clapham Common in south London tonight, with people in the crowd chanting “f*** the police”. There were brief clashes with pushing and shoving when the Met Police moved in to shut down a tribute to Sarah Everard as hundreds gathered near to where she vanished.

Hundreds of people defied a police order and gathered on Clapham Common to remember Ms Everard and call for an end to violence against women after a Met Police officer was accused of kidnapping and murdering her.

Police were jeered as an officer, heard speaking on a live stream on YouTube, walked onto the bandstand and told the women leading the gathering: “Nobody here is socially distanced and we’re in the middle of a pandemic. We’re asking people to go home.”

The crowd then began chanting “where is Sarah?”, “shame on you” and “f*** the police” as night fell on the protest/vigil, which demonstrated the hurt and outrage following the 33-year-old marketing executive’s death.

Earlier, police looked on as women banged drums and chanted “sisters, united, we’ll never be defeated” at the bandstand, which had been transformed into a memorial with a sea of flowers, cards, candles and other tributes.

Some held placards reading “we will not be silenced”, and “she was just walking home”. It came shortly after Kate Middleton left flowers at the memorial during an unannounced, solo visit.

Original demonstration cancelled

Reclaim These Streets had been planning to host a demonstration on Clapham Common in south London on Saturday, near to where the 33-year-old, whose body was formally identified on Friday, went missing.

But organisers said that despite their attempts to work with police to ensure the vigil could proceed safely, and they felt it could not go ahead.

In a tweet on Saturday morning the group said: “We have been very disappointed that given the many opportunities to engage with organisers constructively, the Metropolitan Police have been unwilling to commit to anything.

Serving MET police officer appears in court

A Metropolitan Police officer appeared in court today, Saturday, March 13, charged with the kidnap and murder of Sarah Everard. Wayne Couzens, 48, was arrested on Tuesday, March 9, after the 33-year-old disappeared when walking home to Brixton from Clapham in south London last week.

Ms Everard’s body was found in an area of woodland in Ashford, Kent, Westminster Magistrates Court heard. Mr Couzens wore a grey tracksuit as he appeared for the brief hearing. He appeared to have a red wound on his head and spoke quietly when asked to confirm his name, date of birth and address.

Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring remanded him in custody to appear again at the Old Bailey on 16 March.

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