Moment Met cop shoves woman to the floor in ugly scenes at Sarah Everard vigil
THIS is the moment a Met Police officer shoves a woman to the floor as cops stormed a vigil for Sarah Everard.
Heavy-handed officers dragged tearful women away from a candle-lit shrine during ugly clashes in Clapham, south London last night.
Footage shows a woman being shoved in the back by cops during the vigil.
In the video, officers and a large group of attendees can be seen jostling before an officer stands over a woman on the ground.
She is then picked up from her knees before two male officers push her forcefully in the back towards the crowd.
The woman then tries to bend down near the officers and is shoved back again.
She can be heard shouting that she’s trying to pick up her glasses.
It comes as:
- Sarah Everard disappeared while walking home from Clapham to Brixton, south London, last week
- The 33-year-old’s body was ‘found in a builder’s bag in woods’ in Kent
- Met Police chief Cressida Dick faces calls to quit after officers stormed a vigil for Sarah last night
- Woman arrested at vigil slams ‘disgraceful’ police and calls for another protest tomorrow
- Home Secretary Priti Patel demands ‘full report’ over ‘upsetting’ arrests
- Wayne Couzens, 48, yesterday appeared in court accused of her murder and kidnap
Met Police chief Cressida Dick faces calls today to resign as Home Secretary Priti Patel demanded a ‘full report’ after cops stormed mourners at the vigil.
Patsy Stevenson was arrested during the vigil, and said it was “disgraceful” for cops to break up what she said was a “peaceful protest”.
Dramatic pictures showed a masked Ms Stevenson being held on the ground by two officers as she was handcuffed.
Ms Stevenson told Counterfire: “I was arrested by police for standing there. I wasn’t doing anything, they threw me to the floor.
“They have pictures of me on the floor being arrested. I’m 5ft 2 and I weigh nothing.”
The vigil, attended by crowds throughout Saturday, started peacefully with women lifting their lighters in unison and holding placards as they stood in solidarity with 33-year-old Sarah, who disappeared last Wednesday as she walked home through Clapham.
But tensions started to bubble over in the evening after larger crowds gathered and police arrived on the scene.
Protesters chanted “you go home” at cops as one woman addressed the crowd through a megaphone.
CLASH ON THE COMMON
Ugly scenes of pushing and cops grabbing hold of mourners followed with a police squad leading one detained man away from the area.
Officers linked arms as they made their way from the park pursued by protesters.
Crowds cheered as officers arrived at a line of police vans with cries of “f**k the police” ringing out.
Earlier, one woman told the crowd: “The streets are ours,” while a banner written in Spanish was unfurled reading “your indifference and silence kills as well”, with chants of “the sisters united will never be defeated” heard.
Victims Commissioner Dame Vera Baird QC accused police of acting like a “quasi military”.
She told Sophy Ridge: “To push people away seems to me to be a dreadful piece of misjudgment
“Are they really improving the chances of Covid not spreading by putting their knees in the middle of the back of young women.
“Putting their hands in handcuffs. It didn’t seem to be to be the right thing to do.”
TRAGIC END
It comes as armed cop Wayne Couzens was charged with Sarah’s kidnap and murder on Friday night.
He appeared in court on Saturday where it was said Sarah’s body was discovered in a builder’s bag in Ashford, Kent.
Sarah’s family on Thursday paid tribute to their “bright and beautiful daughter and sister”.
In a statement, Sarah’s family said: “Our beautiful daughter Sarah was taken from us and we are appealing for any information that will help to solve this terrible crime.
“Sarah was bright and beautiful – a wonderful daughter and sister. She was kind and thoughtful, caring and dependable. She always put others first and had the most amazing sense of humour.
“She was strong and principled and a shining example to us all. We are very proud of her and she brought so much joy to our lives.
“We would like to thank our friends and family for all their support during this awful time and we would especially like to thank Sarah’s friends who are working tirelessly to help.”
