"Hundreds defy ban to attend Clapham vigil"

[TheRabbitOfCaerbannog]

www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/sarah-everard-vigil-defy-police-ban-clapham-common-b923959.html

Originally only the handful of women leading the vigil (reading poems and leading the chants) were on the bandstand.

The only reason they stepped onto the bandstand was so they could be heard and seen by the crowds. Someone does need to lead events like this and they have to stand up high to be seen and heard.

It wasn't disrespectful to be on the bandstand. There were no flowers or candles on the bandstand itself, only on the slopes leading up to it, and most protestors were taking great care not to tread on them.

The police jumped onto the bandstand to try to arrest the women who were reading poetry and leading chants, which led the (mostly male) press to surge after them followed by the protestors at the front trying to protect the women.

At some point the cry went out that the police had given permission to go onto the bandstand. I believe this to be true as police did nothing to block the two entrances to the bandstand (they did later) and were doing nothing to discourage it or ask people not to. I don't know what they were thinking in making that decision.

If not for the police's actions, no one would have stepped onto the bandstand except the handful of women leading the vigil.

Thank you Nuclear

Spiked on line. NOT the most reliable source, for anything.

I hope this thread doesn't get pulled but there are a lot of posts that pose a risk of prejudicing the trial so I have reported them. The very last thing her family and friends need is the trial collapsing.

I truly feel so depressed, as a woman it's like 2021 has become 1921. Instead of feeling free, I genuinely feel like men hate women and police men are on the side of the abusers and women haters.

This is why I don't think it matters that the focus of what the Vigil was meant to be has been derailed somewhat.

Sarah was murdered as a result of our patriarchal, misogynistic society. This is core to what happened to her and needs to be protested against.

If she begins a new and much needed women's revolution - that is a good thing isn't it?

Oh my.

'When I first heard of the vigil for Sarah on Clapham Common I was looking forward to attending – it felt good to be able to ‘do something’ and express my love for Sarah and my sorrow for what has happened to her. Less than a day later, I decided not to attend, as have many of her friends. I can’t speak for all of them, but my reason for not attending is this: my friend’s tragic death has been hijacked. It is not a tribute to her any more, it’s about something else – and I don’t like what it has become.'
Her abduction and murder is not, in my opinion, a symptom of a sexist, dangerous society. When something awful like this happens there is a rush to look for reasons and apportion blame. If the suspect police officer in custody is eventually tried and found guilty of her murder, then I will hold him alone responsible. I will not be blaming ‘men’ or ‘the police’ for the actions of one individual. There will always be the odd psychopath out there – male or female – and there can be no accounting for that fact.

'Sarah had many wonderful men in her life. Several of them were absolutely instrumental in the hunt for her, raising awareness online and in the local area, and out physically searching for her at the beginning. They are just as horrified as everyone else by what has happened.'

'I don’t think Sarah would have wanted them, or men in general, to be smeared with the same brush as her attacker. Most people, and indeed men, are good. They would never wish harm on anyone else, let alone attack or kill someone. Despite what has happened to Sarah allegedly at the hands of this man, I will continue to believe that'

Whoever wrote this- Yes, yes, yes.
Reading it makes me want to weep.

This shows another side
twitter.com/markwl20/status/1370833319643000838?s=21P

Her poor poor family. Her name is being bashed around for a political agenda. Trying to mourn the loss of your daughter with everyone latching on and her face plastered everywhere.
God is must be fucking harrowing for them.

"I AM SARAH"
No you are not! What an awful thing to wear.

Seems the vigil should not have gone ahead then if Sarah's family didn't want it (or, it could have been something like standing outside your house with a candle at an appointed time like 8pm or something).

However the way women have been treated and manhandled by police still makes the point about women being seen as deserving abuse.

@Cokie3

I truly feel so depressed, as a woman it's like 2021 has become 1921. Instead of feeling free, I genuinely feel like men hate women and police men are on the side of the abusers and women haters.

I feel like we no longer have anywhere to turn to!

We are no longer allowed to have our safe spaces and are threatened with being raped with their 'lady cocks' or curb stomped. When a woman is raped/murdered by police, we can't even attend a fucking vigil without being manhandled and pushed to the ground by police men.

We have no rights to just.....be, anymore. This century is horrifying, I have never felt so HATED and so alone on account of being a woman.

Me as well

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/teenager-murders-sisters-wembley-trial-b60111.html%3famp

Where was the outrage and vigil over this?

@Hibari

I think the saddest part is, we all knew this was going to happen.

Yes we did

The Met behaviour is so disgusting, they have no shame at all.

I thought there were no women "leading" the vigil because the original leaders (not sure what relation they are to sarah if any) called it off. I am suspicious of people who go to something like this and decide to "lead it" and make it about them rather than silently thinking about someone else.

I did message on another post to day ....I am not surprised that the women turned up to Clapham and am very angry that the Senior officers pulled the plug even though the door was left open by the judge for further discussion with the police and the organisers ...
Black lives Matter was dealt with a Hands off Approach and I fully support their cause ......But to say that Womens lives Matter and then man handle them in such an appalling way is a disgrace !!! Many MPs have expressed grave concern on how this was handled and really enforces how the police are clearly in need of education !! The senior police officers are the ones to take the blame the frontline officers are doing what they are told !! dreadfull indictment of the world that women live in ...women have never received their rights by smiling sweetly and they have to protest even if its illegal !!! dreadful scenes that could have been handled more sensitively and less MAN handling! appalling appalling !
police clearly not a clue how to read the situation utterly speechless!

@Whenthesunshines

Someone wearing an “I AM SARAH” t shirt ffs , how dare they. This made my stomach turn.

I actually don't understand. Can someone clarify. I thought this was an event to 'reclaim the streets' or was it purely a vigil in memory of Sarah. It it was about reclaiming the streets then surely this already started out with another agenda. It shouldn't have gone ahead. It is against the rules but the police should have pre-empted that people would go regardless. Its a shame that a very peaceful event then became a real situation by the heavy hands of the police. It was VERY badly handled by the police and those that denied it going ahead. My heart goes out to the family. It is just awful.

[quote Cwenthryth]This shows another side
twitter.com/markwl20/status/1370833319643000838?s=21P[/quote]
Yes. Scum.

Sorry haven't had time to read the whole thread so this may have already been said. And I dont say this to defend the police who have about as much empathy as a lump of granite.

But it has become evident from facebook that not only the SWP but Sisters Uncut were organising to attend this event. Both these groups have a parasitic practice of turning up at events with an agenda of engineering confrontation. (My local event not only had SWP but Global Women's Strike)

So why was it that earlier in the day a large number of predominantly women were able to attend in an unorganised way and not turn it into a violent confrontation?

These piggy back politicos never organise their own event to demonstate against the police, they just wait for some to organise a march or whatever and then they arrive to create confrontation.

I am sure the police over reacted, and used unecessary force. But given the smug posts being swopped about how these self styled warriors are portraying the event as an example of the police state that they bravely confronted, it seems that at least part of the trouble had little or nothing to do with women demonstrating against male violence or holding a respectful vigil for a woman kidnapped and murdered.

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.

This shows another side
twitter.com/markwl20/status/1370833319643000838?s=21P

Bullshit.

What does it show? That in a crowd of maybe a thousand, four men weren't wearing masks and got into a scuffle with violent police who were manhandling girls.

Not a jot of proof they have any links with Antifa or BLM, but sure believe everything a far right wing account whose profile proudly proclaims "Patriot. Love Liberal Tears" and does nothing but RT racist twaddle, including RTing from a Katie Hopkins fansite, because apparently in the hellhole that is 2021 Katie Hopkins fansites are a thing.

@GoodbyeH

Her poor poor family. Her name is being bashed around for a political agenda. Trying to mourn the loss of your daughter with everyone latching on and her face plastered everywhere. God is must be fucking harrowing for them.

"I AM SARAH"
No you are not! What an awful thing to wear.

It's horrific.

I am so so angry and sad tonight. Feeling totally despondent and helpless. How dare the police act like this.

@TheRabbitOfCaerbannog

This is a huge organisational cock-up by the Met Police. They needed to read the mood and assist in making a peaceful vigil possible, protecting the women attending, not kettling them ffs. It's left the situation wide open to be hijacked by other interest groups.

The police have to follow the law, at the moment there are (ridiculous) covid laws in place re: gatherings, they can't go against that and say well actually go for it, no matter what they might have wanted to do. Impossible to tell from photos on twitter whether those who have been restrained were 'peaceful' or not imo.

Again, how ^exactly* does twitterer flag-shagger Mark Walker know that that footage was BLM and....Antifa 'domestic terrorists'...from this evening.
Remarkable.
And frankly unbelievable. Unless you want to believe it.

Yes, @Pan2 , Spiked is the successor to Living Marxism who are known for genocide denial www.theguardian.com/comment/story/0,3604,181819,00.html
www.theguardian.com/media/2000/mar/15/pressandpublishing.tvnews

stumbledin

Yes to everything you just said.