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/

The Met have been played and were played because they have massive blindspots and areas of stupidity and some of these were exploited

It does seem so doesn't it. Are they not achingly aware of how these groups operate? Wouldn't they have had intell that there would be all sorts turning up?

It does seem so doesn't it. Are they not achingly aware of how these groups operate? Wouldn't they have had intell that there would be all sorts turning up?

They are not magic though. I have a friend who worked alongside the police regarding antisocial behaviour in London fairly recently.

He was shocked by how badly resourced they were, they really have been stripped down to the bone to the extent that they just could not provide anywhere near the same service that they could 5 years previously.

Another major problem is that mental health services have also been stripped to the bone.

Precious public money has been squandered on dodgy mindfulness and yoga charities, wellness consultants, image consultants, PR companies, leadership and corprorate training coaches, transformational change coaches and Independent NHS Providers.

As a result the police are left dealing with extremely mentally unwell and otherwise vulnerable people who really should be the responsibility of social services and mental health services.

Then covid hit and things got even worse.

I think the police are between a rock and a hard place. Whatever they do people will criticise them, but it has to be one of the most difficult, challenging and thankless jobs right now, working as a cop in a pandemic.

Also I think that because they are so overstretched they are working reactively, always on the back foot, so it is hard for them to think about and understand what is going on.

These astroturfing networks include criminal networks of very clever people.

It is one thing for the police to deal with people who stab and shoot each other or who commit acquisitive crime (online fraud excluded).

Unfortunately the new breed of organised criminals are involved in fraud and long cons. They are extremely well resourced with friends in very high places. Dealing with them and understanding them is nothing like understanding people who rob and burgle.

Also due to issues of privacy the police are somewhat restricted in what they can do. They have a mandate that they cannot overstep.

The bad guys have a significant advantage.

On the bright side those of us with obsessive interests in crime and with protecting the vulnerable are free to research these groups and make a difference in a way that the police are not.

Those are good points thunkit.

Sadly we police by consent in the UK, and it will take a very long time to regain public confidence.

Years of govt underfunding have caused this.

ErrolTheDragon
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 wondered about this because anyone who lives near Clapham Common knows it's busy every day. & the police take no notice at all of that.

Sadly we police by consent in the UK

We don't though, of course.

I'm not sure about the being played thing.

Yes there are actors in this with their own aims.

However

The process for arranging this was adhered to and denied
Obviously women were going to gather. I mean, obviously
They said in advance they would not tolerate it
Vigils in other areas went ahead
The covid thing- there were hundreds there. What good does nicking a few of them do? And why the ones who were vocal, if it's about virus protection?
They were out in what looks like force

The police aren't stupid. They knew there would be lots of women there. They knew it was a massively sensitive situation.

They had no need to behave like that irrespective of what groups turned up.

The picture of the woman being nicked. She was still a woman and she was still arrested by a bunch of male cops and bundled off.

They didn't need to do that.

This is on the met.

They have so much form for all sorts of shit I'm surprised that they are being given excuses/ leeway etc tbh.

Of course we don't police by consent!

The police forces exist to protect the interests of their paymasters.

Ok I am no fan of the met due to experience but it's so obvious to me that I'm always surprised that people put so much faith in them.

If only they took indecent exposure so seriously

I gather that there was a flasher at Clapham Common last night who was reported to the police there and they refused to do anything about him. Much easier for our cowardly boys in blue to pull peaceable girls off the bandstand than deal with a bloke actually committing a crime.

The police know that these men escalate so why they aren't interested is...

Well. I know why! But it's very annoying. Angering.

@Londonmummy66

If only they took indecent exposure so seriously

I gather that there was a flasher at Clapham Common last night who was reported to the police there and they refused to do anything about him. Much easier for our cowardly boys in blue to pull peaceable girls off the bandstand than deal with a bloke actually committing a crime.

YES!

The police know that these men escalate so why they aren't interested is...

Some escalate, some don't, some de-escalate

The nearest example of an appalling crime like this, although very different in many ways, is the crimes of Russell Williams.

He started off with voyeurism and escalated to burglary where he would steal lingerie and masturbate in women's homes through to sexual assaults and murders.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell_Williams_(criminal)

Regarding indecent exposure - I have been very distressed to have been on the receiving end of such behaviour several times, starting when I was a little girl.

I do believe it is important, however the police are under-resourced and have to triage reports of crimes and respond to those that are more serious.

Thus I understand that they will respond to a stabbing (an almost daily occurrence) in a robust way, but that this may leave them with no resources to respond to a report of indecent exposure.

People screaming "defund the police!" is not going to help. Obviously

As with the NHS vast recources have been squandered on leadership training, training from Stonewall and other allied groups, so there are a number of issues to address

Police Sergeant due to appear in Court on 24th March

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/mar/15/police-officer-to-appear-in-court-on-charges-of-rape-and-sexual-assault

The interview with the woman who reported to police on clapham comment that a man had exposed himself was somehow made worse that a woman police officer initially said terrible please show us, and one of the male police officers said they were too busy with the protest.

And even if they were needed why couldn't the female police officer and possible one other have gone with the woman.

So it just shows how even within the police force women have not status.

So it just shows how even within the police force women have not status.

"Life on Mars" was a documentary.

I wonder how many men have joined the police since that aired and have revived the "good old days" having seen how much better life was in the 70s ?

Meanwhile, it seems "too busy" is now acceptable when you don't want to attend court. Perpetrators of DV take note. This is how you work the system.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/mar/16/met-deputy-too-busy-for-questions-on-spy-officers-relationship-with-woman

Scotland Yard has suggested its deputy commissioner is too busy to be cross-examined in a legal case about an undercover officer who deceived a woman into a long-term sexual relationship.

@ProfessorSlocombe

Meanwhile, it seems "too busy" is now acceptable when you don't want to attend court. Perpetrators of DV take note. This is how you work the system.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/mar/16/met-deputy-too-busy-for-questions-on-spy-officers-relationship-with-woman

Scotland Yard has suggested its deputy commissioner is too busy to be cross-examined in a legal case about an undercover officer who deceived a woman into a long-term sexual relationship.

I would honestly have thought that that would be contempt of court - at the very least.

Possibly even an attempt to interfere with the course of justice (Does this exist? I may have made it up. . . )

Ok I'm going to get slaughtered for this. What that man did was wrong and yes he should and most probably ho to jail for what hes done and I'm in no way shape or form sticking up for him or condoning what hes done.... when has it ever been safe for women to be walking alone at night. For many many years it hasnt been safe. There has been serial killers and serial rapists around for many many many years and yes it shouldnt be like that but it is and nowadays it's not even safe for men to be out and about late at night. And we are also in the middle if a global pandemic. Protesting and holding vigils isn't going to solve the problem.

Protesting and holding vigils isn't going to solve the problem

I think they made similar comments about the Suffragettes.

Not doing anything to show how strongly women feel about not feeing safe in or out of the home, isn't going to change things either.

Women's safe spaces are under enormous threat at the moment; refuges are being closed; women's single sex facilities/sports/awards are being opened to biological males to the detriment and often the physical danger of women.

We can't ignore it.

The Hillsborough tactics being used against the women are bloody disgusting.

You do realise that the crowd wasn't just women?

And no tactics whatsoever were used against those who moved on when requested to do so

Im talking about on here....on another board.

@NiceGerbil Totally agree.

THREAD

twitter.com/salihughes/status/1372493073276674048?s=20

I wonder if it's Sussex police? She lives in Brighton. They've got all sorts of form...

Shana Grice: Police misconduct over victim's stalking claims www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-49166946