London's police criticised over Everard vigil policing
The Metropolitan Police's handling of a vigil in south London to mourn Sarah Everard has been widely criticised across the political spectrum.Home Secretary Priti Patel has asked the Met for a report on what happened.
And London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he was "urgently seeking an explanation" from the force's leader - Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick.
Officers were seen handcuffing and leading women away from the bandstand in Clapham where they had gathered.
Police said four arrests were made to "protect people's safety".
Several hundred people gathered on Clapham Common on Saturday evening to pay tribute to the 33-year-old - whose death has prompted a public debate over women's safety - despite Covid restrictions.
The official vigil, which was being organised by Reclaim These Streets, had been called off earlier in the day due to police warnings over coronavirus restrictions.
Here's a video on what happened and the full story is here.
'Policing of large events difficult at best of times'
The Metropolitan Police will explain what happened at the vigil for Sarah Everard in a report to the home secretary, the minister for safeguarding has said.Victoria Atkins MP was asked about a photograph of police handcuffing a woman on the ground after officers moved in to break up gathering on Clapham Common.
An official vigil had been called off earlier in the day due to coronavirus restrictions which ban more than two people meeting outdoors.
Atkins told Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme: "Any policing of large events is difficult at the best of times but we are in the middle of a pandemic with all of the rules that flow from that.
"Of course last night people were very, very upset; there was a great deal of emotion, completely understandably.
"The police will have to explain (their operational actions) to the home secretary in their report."
'Missed opportunities for a safe vigil'
Police missed opportunities to create a safe vigil amid the pandemic for Sarah Everard, the shadow domestic violence minister says.Jess Philips MP says a police report to the home secretary on what happened at the vigil was "absolutely not enough".
She told Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday: "Yesterday there were so many missed opportunities throughout the day for the police to work with organisers to create a completely safe vigil so that people could go and have a moment of sorrow... and they missed the opportunities at every turn until what we saw was a 5ft 2in tall woman being pinned down with two men on her back."
Planned evening vigils were called off because of Covid restrictions, but hundreds gathered at Clapham Common. There was confrontation with the police who tweeted that it was "unsafe".
Lambeth police tweeted: "The gathering at #ClaphamCommon is unsafe. Hundreds of people are tightly packed together in breach of the regulations and risking public health.
"We are urging people to go home and we thank those who have been engaging with officers and who are leaving."
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