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Organizers of a vigil for Sarah Everard are launching a legal challenge after the Metropolitan Police said the gathering would be illegal.
The group Reclaim These Streets planned to meet at 6 p.m. Saturday in Clapham Common, not far from where the 33-year-old disappeared on Wednesday, March 3.
Although police initially gave a “positive response” to the planned vigil, the women behind the event claim that the Met later changed positions.
Sarah Everard, 33, disappeared on Wednesday, March 3
In a statement, Reclaim These Streets said it wanted to “channel collective pain, outrage and sadness in our community,” adding: “Our plan was to hold a short meeting, focused on a minute of silence to remember Sarah Everard and all women lost to violence. “
They stressed that conducting a safe COVID vigil “has been a top priority from the beginning.” Although officials initially said they would develop a “local police plan” to make it happen, they later made a U-turn, warning organizers that they could face tens of thousands of pounds in fines and criminal prosecution.
Human rights lawyers have told Reclaim These Streets that the Met is wrong in its interpretation of the law, and that outdoor and socially distant gatherings of this type are allowed under current lockdown restrictions.
A crowdfunding campaign was launched on Thursday to raise the £ 30,000 needed to cover potential legal costs, and surpassed this target in a matter of hours.
The group now plans to take their challenge to Superior Court today, and will donate the money to a women’s charity if they are successful. However, they added: “If the judge decides against us, we could be liable for Metropolitan Police costs of up to £ 30,000. We will also be forced to cancel the vigil, and no woman in England will be able to gather to assert her rights. . “
The vigils will also take place at 6pm on Saturday in cities across the UK, including Liverpool, Leeds, Birmingham, Belfast and Cardiff.
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The organizers ended their statement by saying: “We have all been following the tragic case of Sarah Everard for the last week. This is a vigil for Sarah, but also for all women who feel unsafe, disappear from our streets and face violence. every day.
“By forcing us to cancel the Reclaim These Streets vigil, the Metropolitan Police will silence thousands of women like us who want to honor Sarah’s memory and defend our right to feel safe on our streets.”
Detectives searching for Everard discovered human remains in Ashford, Kent, on Wednesday.
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Missing Sarah Everard’s family makes a statement
Her family has described her as a “shining example” who was “kind and strong.”
A police officer remains in custody on suspicion of the kidnapping and murder of the marketing executive.
The man, in his 40s, suffered a head injury while in detention and was taken to hospital for treatment. Since then, he has been discharged and returned to a police station, the Metropolitan Police said.
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While awaiting formal identification, Ms. Everard’s family has issued a statement through the police asking for any witnesses to come forward.
They added: “She was kind and considerate, loving and trustworthy. She always put others first and had an incredible sense of humor.
“She was strong and had principles and a shining example for all of us. We are very proud of her and she brought so much joy to our lives.”
Ms. Everard’s trip home on March 3 should have taken her about 50 minutes.
She talked to her boyfriend for about 15 minutes while walking and the phone call ended at 9:28 PM. Since then, no one has heard from her and her last known location was near Clarence Avenue.
The Independent Office of Police Conduct has launched an investigation into whether Met agents responded adequately to an accusation of indecent exposure made against the suspect arrested for his disappearance.
The watchdog said the referral to the Met was one of five “all related to the arrest of an MPS officer on duty on suspicion of kidnapping, murder and a separate charge of indecent exposure.”
According to the IOPC, their investigation will look at the Met’s actions after police received a report that a man had been exposed at a fast food restaurant in South London on February 28, three days before Ms. Everard disappeared.
