"Hundreds defy ban to attend Clapham vigil"

When men come along there will be trouble. Definitely seemed from the footage that until the police arrived it was probably a contained vigil, but there were plenty of men itching for a fight. However utterly disgusted by not only the police handling , but the hijacking to be about the wolves in sheep’s clothing. This is. Women’s issue, not a men’s or tw issue. They could have shown solidarity and kept away. The fact they didn’t speaks volumes. Sad and .angry.

It's time to reintroduce Peel's principles. Particularly these ones:
2. To recognize always that the power of the police to fulfil their functions and duties is dependent on public approval of their existence, actions and behaviour, and on their ability to secure and maintain public respect.
4. To recognize always that the extent to which the cooperation of the public can be secured diminishes proportionately the necessity of the use of physical force and compulsion for achieving police objectives.
6. To use physical force only when the exercise of persuasion, advice and warning is found to be insufficient to obtain public cooperation to an extent necessary to secure observance of law or to restore order, and to use only the minimum degree of physical force which is necessary on any particular occasion for achieving a police objective.

It will take a generation to repair the reputational damage this has caused. I hope that the Home Secretary calls for the Commissioner's head on a plate. We need a new Commissioner, preferably one brought in from one of the more sensible forces rather than from within the Met. We could even hire from abroad.

I also want to know whether the Mayor of London had any involvement tonight. The Commissioner answers to Khan.

It seems to me from twitter that these two things are both true:

a) The police acted terribly

b) The Clapham protest ended up basically being led by by Sisters Uncut, who are the extremist TRAs who assaulted Maria Machlachlan. They put up some sign about "t*rfs", and made speeches that a journalist on twitter said that in their opinion constituted contempt of court and could endanger the trial. Also, being Sisters Uncut, they had angry lairy blokes with them creating an aggressive atmosphere (which still does not in any way excuse the police reaction)

I saw an interview with Patsy Stevenson, the woman pictured being arrested. Her first words were how this is about "ALL women, transwomen and c*s women..."

So overall I don't feel that either side are covered in glory. I think it is pretty shite that Sisters Uncut tried to hijack this for a TRA agenda.

It is our human right to gather, grieve and protest.

I don’t believe the police reaction had anything to do with COVID. This was about silencing women/intimidating women to put them in their place. First, by threatening organisers and attendees with fines, then arresting women who were simply standing - not even speaking - and clearly not ‘being a threat’ to anyone.
It looked like there were a few ‘troublemakers’ in the crowd- ones who were there with another purpose. But (from the video footage - I watched live online) it looks like the vast majority were peaceful women attending the vigil.

The met Police were too heavy-handed and caused all the problems here. They could have handled this so much better, but they chose not to engage with the original organisers. They had the power to intimidate and they chose to flex that power.

Now the front pages on Mothers day will be filled with the Met police trying to intimidate women into silence. I am saddened. I am horrified.

RIP Sarah, wishing strength to her grieving family.

A reminder to everyone angry about how this vigil had been handled that the Government will be voting imminently on the new policing bill which will increase police powers to clamp down on protest.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/police-crime-sentencing-and-courts-bill-2021-factsheets/police-crime-sentencing-and-courts-bill-2021-protest-powers-factsheet

They are supposedly policing by public consent.

Yes they love to trot that phrase out don't they? I never know what they think they mean by it.

I just feel heartbroken for Sarah's family, especially her mum, it's mothers day and her beautiful daughter is no longer here, some people should be ashamed of their behaviour tonight.

I always think about the fact that women have been through so much for millennia, but we're still here standing strong and will continue to thrive. I genuinely think this is the beginning of a new dawn and many are waking up. I'm sickened by the police. RIP Sarah.

Can't believe they arrested the women at the vigil in the way they did & the general inapropriate policing of this peaceful gathering. The Met need to urgently stop digging given the massive hole they were already in before these terrible goings-on.

They are supposedly policing by public consent. Good luck with rebuilding that trust with the women of London. Dear oh dear. What a disgrace.

I personally lit a candle on my doorstep at 9.30 pm. But I think those who felt they needed to be in Clapham Common today should have been given a safe option to do so.

" A lot of those women were white, so where's their apparent privilege?? We all know the answer to that."

I don't know this. Can you tell me?

I'm beyond livid at the footage on the news. The Met have totally misjudged the national mood.
Society can't handle women's anger.

The Everard family have acted with utter dignity.
What a shame others, including the Met, have not.

RIP Sarah

Her family who have asked for her name and image not to be used must be even more distraught than they were already as their daughter just becomes a prop in the usual photo op politics of the SWP and Sisters Uncut.

I agree. Shame on them.

I went to a very peaceful, respectful vigil in Walthamstow today. No police, and no hijackers. On Twitter I saw a beautiful remembrance on Iona. Maybe there’s a story about all the small, honouring gatherings.

Yup...

Antifa = anti fascist. That's the default, surely?

BLM... why is that a problem? WOmen are a minority grou according to police. We don't matter. Thei behaviour tonight has demonstrated that we don't matter.

Stephen McGann on twitter : "Truncheons before brains."