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A woman whose image went viral after being arrested at Sarah Everard’s vigil on Saturday said she was “terrified” when a police officer taking her away warned her that she had a baton.
Patsy Stevenson was photographed being taken from the Clapham Common bandstand in South London on Saturday night after a vigil for the 33-year-old murdered turned violent.
Ms. Stevenson told Sky News that she went to cry to Ms. Everard, whose body was found in a Kentish woods last week after disappearing near Clapham Common, and being among other women who feel their safety should be talked about.
Live updates on Sarah Everard’s investigation and protests
Patsy Stevenson was arrested while attending a vigil for Sarah Everard
Stevenson says a police officer warned him that he had a baton
But she said it quickly became unpleasant when many police officers approached the bandstand, pushed the women toward the barriers, and then arrested her. She was among the three women and a man who would be arrested.
She told Sky News: “We were very scared about what was going to happen.
“I just stood there and a police officer was pulling my arm, trying to get my name and then they knocked me to the ground.
“When they took me, behind me one of the officers who was holding me said ‘I have my hand on my baton, I have my hand on my baton’ to one of the other officers.
“I thought this was scary because we are about to meet a crowd of people and I don’t know if that crowd is going to go against what is happening and they will arrest me.”
Ms. Stevenson said she didn’t know what to do as she had never been in that kind of situation before, and another woman told her not to give her name to the police, so she didn’t.
Sarah Everard’s body was found in a Kentish forest last week. An officer of the Metropolitan Police on duty has been charged with his murder
Ms. Stevenson said she just wanted to pay her respects. Image: James Veysey / Shutterstock
She said she yelled at the crowd, “He’s got his hand on the baton, be careful,” as she was concerned for the safety of others.
“Then they said, ‘She’s turning the crowd out, please move her back,'” Stevenson added.
“I wasn’t trying to upset anyone, I was just trying to make sure everyone was safe.
“I was terrified, but then I looked at the press and had a little thought that if this came out, I could be interviewed and at that point the fear didn’t matter to me.”
He added that the vigil “turned out the opposite of what we wanted.”
The campaign group Reclaim These Streets had tried to work with police to organize an official vigil with butlers and officers on Clapham Common, but it was canceled because police said it was a coronavirus risk.
The police took Ms. Stevenson from the bandstand. Image: James Veysey / Shutterstock
Stevenson said he went to the vigil to pay his respects and defend the women. Image: James Veysey / Shutterstock
Ms. Stevenson said she went to the vigil anyway because she wanted to be there in solidarity with Ms. Everard and the women who have to deal with feeling unsafe on the street.
“No one intended this, it was meant to be a vigil, all we wanted to do was pay our respects,” he added.
“I accidentally went viral, I didn’t want this to happen, this happened like a whirlwind.
“I have been thrown into the public eye and the only way I can make this not in vain is not to make it political, not against the police, it is only about the safety of women and we have to talk about that.”
Police on Clapham Common Saturday night
An investigation into how the police handled the vigil began when Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick backed her officers and said they had to make a very difficult trial during the pandemic, where gatherings are illegal. .
There have been calls for Dame Cressida to step down over police handling of the vigil, but Anna Birley of Reclaim These Streets said that would do nothing to promote female equality.
Boris Johnson, Interior Minister Priti Patel and Police Minister Kit Malthouse have also refused to listen to calls for his resignation.
