Met Police threaten to prosecute organisers of 'Reclaim These Streets' womens' gathering

[TheRabbitOfCaerbannog]

The organisers of a socially distanced #ReclaimTheseStreets event planned for Saturday 13th March at 6 pm on Clapham Common say the Met Police are trying to pull it. They say they're threatening to prosecute the organisers. The intention is for a short vigil to remember Sarah Everard and all women lost to violence. They're looking to crowdfund to cover potential legal costs. Harriet Harman has written to the met in support of the organisers...

twitter.com/reclaimts/status/1370123638406545408?s=21

www.crowdjustice.com/case/reclaimthesestreets/

Statement from the organisers

They should resubmit and substitute vigil for protest.

*with

There are more updates here www.facebook.com/events/338249534275512/?active_tab=discussion - I think they have nearly met their target already.

However, on the event discussion thread and on twitter people are being really stupid and naming the person in custody. Which could jeopardise the case.

If only they took indecent exposure so seriously

Are we not still in lockdown in the midst of a global pandemic? This is a horrific case don’t get me wrong, it’s just not the time to be doing this, people are still dying - 156 people died yesterday in the U.K.

I think the lockdown rules are open to legal challenge ie do they over ride the right to demonstrate.

The not congragating is about social events and failing to observe social distancing.

But as this will probably be quite a big demonstration I suspect social distancing will be difficult.

But as the crowdjustice have raised over £30,000 in under an hour, the legal defence on the right to demonstrate will be settled in court.

(I did hear on one thread that nurses demonstrating against their measly pay rise ended up with sizeable fines. )

The government essentially removing the right to peaceful protest was a worrying thing.

This terrible crime is a trigger for action but also more women are being killed in lockdown, DV has gone up while funding is cut etc etc.

Also at the other end of the scale all the reports on women being harassed or groped while out running and stuff like that which is seen as trivial but can be really upsetting, means that women change their routines or stop altogether etc.

So there's plenty of reasons to have a protest.

@Cwenthryth

Are we not still in lockdown in the midst of a global pandemic? This is a horrific case don’t get me wrong, it’s just not the time to be doing this, people are still dying - 156 people died yesterday in the U.K.

The number of deaths in the Uk yesterday was around 2000 - of who 156 had had a positive Covid test within the previous 60 days.

One one of the deaths in the last week was a young lady killed possibly be a police officer.

Does her death and others like hers not count too?

Cwenthryth

This death was a murder.

Are you seriously suggesting that it's the same as dying from a virus.

This looks like a human rights challenge to the covid regs which currently do not allow either 'protest' or 'vigil' as a reasonable excuse to leave your home.

The right to protest is included in freedom of assembly (article 11) of the HRA. Our right to protest can be restricted by a public authority if they can show this is lawful, necessary and proportionate in order to protect health (among other things).

So this would take a judicial review to change and we're all familiar by now with how long they take. FPFW's JR against ONS is about as fast as it gets and that case is being expedited because it's an urgent matter of national importance.

If a vigil is planned for Saturday then the whole JR would have to happen tomorrow and that's just not going to happen. For once, I believe the Met - their hands are tied. There's no point challenging the Met, they need to challenge DHSC - Hat Mancock. That's whose signature is on the regs.

It's extremely important that as we come out of lockdown, our human rights are restored fully as soon as possible.

It was shocking to me when 'protest' was removed as a reasonable excuse to leave our homes but I understand why. If it's legal for Piers Corbyn to turn up in central London with several thousand of his deluded mates then there needs to be the necessary resources to make sure that sort of protest meets all the 'covid-secure' rules and there just aren't enough resources for that. I can't see any way of changing the regs that would allow this sensible, socially distanced vigil but not realistically also allow large scale non-socially distanced demos ('I ticked all the boxes on the covid-secure checklist officer, it's not my fault several thousand more than expected turned up, or that they all seem to want to yell and sing and hug each other')

I will support any JR with a realistic chance of restoring our Article 11 rights but this isn't it - not in time for Saturday.

Nevertheless, the regulations allow us to leave our homes and meet with one other person outside of our household, in a public place. It would not surprise me if a large number of women chose to meet one other woman on Clapham Common (close to where Sarah went missing) at sunset (a contemplative time) and it would also not surprise me if many women chose to do this on saturday.

Does her death and others like hers not count too?

Are you seriously suggesting that it's the same as dying from a virus.

FGS catch yourselves on - do you really think that’s what I’m saying? The law is what the law is and currently we have to stay home unless we have specific reasons to go out, and, very sadly, attending a mass vigil is not one of them. As the man arrested for this murder is a serving police officer there is a lot of anti-police sentiment tied up in the public reaction and now people are mad that the police are upholding the law.

I will be at a vigil for Sarah and indeed all women killed during lockdown and at the hands of men.....once it is legal and safe to do so, which currently, it isn’t.

I'll wait until lockdown ends and I feel safe - but then I have been cautious all along because I know someone who has died and others in my social circle have had friends die and/or get long Covid. I have family members who are vulnerable.

I'll happily protest from home.

I personally don't feel that my rights have been threatened or taken away by the ban on protests.

I also feel strongly that we need to protest violence against women - but I'd be interested in discussing other ways we can do this without physical presence.

The government essentially removing the right to peaceful protest was a worrying thing.

I thought we were assured (well, you may have been, I wasn't) that this most certainly wasn't the case.
.

I did hear on one thread that nurses demonstrating against their measly pay rise ended up with sizeable fines. Not arguable under Human Rights I don't think.

I'm not sure they are going for a JR and my comment last night may have been misleading. Seems that the money raised is going on barristers or whoever writing letters / emails to the Met Police saying they have misinterpreted the lock down rules.

Also to say the organisers closed the fundraiser once it reached its target and asked all those still wishing to contribute to instead make a donation to a local women's group.

Also to say the organisers closed the fundraiser once it reached its target and asked all those still wishing to contribute to instead make a donation to a local women's group.

Thanks for the update 👏

Just seen another thread where it is being said the Met Police are doing this becaue of having had Stonewall training!! Not a simplistic as that but are they arse covering.

Also whatever the exchange of legal opinions leads to it will impact a large number of other vigils being planned. www.womensgrid.org.uk/?p=14698

@TotsAndPears

If only they took indecent exposure so seriously

Quite

The positive I take from this is that women are getting very angry,and that they will channel this anger into (political and protest) action.

How much more evidence do we need that those in power and those who should be protecting us don't really care much about us?

Thank you for the link Stumbled. I see there's a virtual vigil on the list: www.facebook.com/events/287767122858678/.

A few of us have been sounding warnings on the Coronavirus board about the threat to civil liberties and the rights to protest. But nooooooooo people wanted more and more and tighter and tighter restrictions. I and a few others could see where it was leading. I wonder how the ones who wouldnt be told feel now. I went looking for this old thread today. Im the OP of it.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/3991985-Rape-survivors-being-castigated-for-not-wearing-masks

and found that this video of a man on the underground abusing a woman has been removed.

I really hope its because hes been charged but the way the world works i bet its for his protection.

graziadaily.co.uk/life/in-the-news/face-covering-public-transport-rules/?fbclid=IwAR3w6rL8PQivkHQgF-sp6N98nS25keszFNGih3FzLUzIzS91BNZFoJVi1-c

Judge has said will not intervene although there is no right under HR law to have a blanket ban on protests.

However police need to be seen to be consistent in applying lock down regulations ie as other have been fined for portesting, it would not be right to not fine organisers of these events.

But organisers are still trying to persuade police their vigil is different (?) not a demonstration (?) ... so still negotiating with Met.

Maybe an organised event isn't the best idea at the moment, but would there be any problem if a lot of women simply decide they want to take a walk on Saturday evening? Not only in Clapham - anywhere and everywhere.

I think it would be unwise for people to travel to Clapham Common - filling public transport is a bad idea

But I hope the police will be tactful about small numbers of local people. The Common is normally still busy at that time, and there will be people there. The laying of flowers has begun

They've also brought in a lot of solar powered additional street lights on many paths across the Common, and round the wooded areas