Calls for Cressida Dick to resign rung out across social media last night following ‘deeply disturbing’ scenes at Sarah Everard’s vigil.
The Metropolitan Police force is under intense pressure to explain its handling of the event which turned sour as police surrounded a bandstand covered in floral tributes to the 33-year-old marketing executive.
Male officers could be seen grabbing hold of several women before leading them away in handcuffs, to shouts and screams from onlookers.
Reaction
The reaction on social media in the aftermath has been fierce, with several people pointing out that they were “women with flowers” observing a vigil, not a protest.
The police force’s handling of the event also clashes starkly to scenes in Glasgow last week when scores of football fans headed out to celebrate Rangers winning the title.
We have rounded up some of the early response below:
It was a vigil, not a protest.
— Alex Davies-Jones MP (@AlexDaviesJones) March 13, 2021
They were women with flowers.
Met Police saw white men trashing the streets and pissing on plaques last summer. They stood and watched.
— Alastair Reid (@ajreid) March 13, 2021
Tonight the Met saw women who were not obeying orders and thought: we can have them.
The police don’t care about optics because their power doesn’t come from the public. It’s really that simple.
— Leave Black Women Alone We Are Tired (@judeinlondon2) March 13, 2021
This is bigger than one commissioner, this is the moment for an overdue reckoning with the Met as a whole.
— George Eaton (@georgeeaton) March 13, 2021
Truly shocked at the scenes from Clapham Common – in this country we police by consent – not by trampling the tributes to a woman who was murdered and dragging other women to the ground. Badly misjudged by #metpolice
— Caroline Nokes MP (@carolinenokes) March 13, 2021
If the police had stood with the women tonight. Silently. As if to symbolically atone for one of their number being responsible. A simple healing gesture.
— Danny Baker (@prodnose) March 13, 2021
But no.
These ugly times just get uglier.
If you’re in uniform battering people attending a vigil for a woman murdered by your colleague you should probably reassess your fucking life
— Marcus Barnett (@marcusbarnett_) March 13, 2021
men celebrating a football win versus women protesting male violence pic.twitter.com/qvhmUxw4WU
— Jon Brady (@jonbradyphoto) March 13, 2021
Related: Demonstrators chant ‘shame on you’ as they defy police requests to stay away from Clapham Common