Priti Patel demands police explain what happened at Sarah Everard vigil

Priti Patel called the scenes in Clapham Common ‘upsetting’ (Picture: Getty)

Priti Patel has demanded a ‘full report’ into the Met’s handling of the Sarah Everard vigil on Clapham Common after officers clashed with mourners during ugly scenes in the capital.

Criticism of the force’s handling of the protest is mounting with a string of high profile names coming out to slam the ‘disproportionate’ response of officers.

Demonstrators were pictured being dragged away from the common’s bandstand, where people have been leaving floral tributes throughout the day.

Police had warned the vigil was ‘unsafe’ during the pandemic, before moving in to disperse those who had gathered to pay their respects.

The Home Secretary wrote on Twitter: ‘Some of the footage circulating online from the vigil in Clapham is upsetting. I have asked the Metropolitan Police for a full report on what happened.

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‘My thoughts remain with Sarah’s family and friends at this terrible time.’

Hundreds gathered on the common despite the vigil being officially called off after the police threatened to fine those attending.

As numbers swelled, things quickly turned violent with officers seen grabbing women stood within the bandstand before dragging them away, to screaming and shouting from onlookers.

Politicians have criticised the police’s response as ‘disproportionate’ (Picture: Getty) Officers decided to move in and arrest some of the mourners after attempting to disperse the crowds (Picture: EPA)

London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan and the Labour leader Keir Starmer have both joined the chorus of criticism around the handling of the vigil.

Sir Keir tweeted: ‘The scenes in Clapham this evening are deeply disturbing. Women came together to mourn Sarah Everard – they should have been able to do so peacefully.’

‘I share their anger and upset at how this has been handled. This was not the way to police this protest,’ he added.

There were ugly scenes as officers tried to get people to leave the common (Picture: Getty) Politicians have criticised the force for its heavy-handed tactics (Picture: EPA)

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has called for Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick to ‘consider’ her leadership of the force in the wake of what happened.

Gracie Bradley, interim director of human rights group Liberty, called Ms Patel the ‘true architect’ of the ‘disaster’.

She said: ‘Police were given the choice on how to approach this protest. They could have worked with organisers to ensure people could collectively grieve and protest a lack of protection.

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‘But instead they chose aggressive interventions that put people’s health at risk and led to chaos and distress.

‘The true architect of this disaster is the Home Secretary, who has relentlessly demonised protesters and refused to support a protest exemption to the lockdown rules.

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‘She has undermined a vital pillar of democracy in the process, and pitched police against the public by encouraging aggressive enforcement against those who take to the streets to dissent.’

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