Hundreds of women in London defy ban and rally in memory of Sarah Everard

Hundreds of London women, and joined by many men, have defied the police ban on gathering to pay tribute to Sarah Everard.

The organizers of the vigil had convened for this Saturday at six in the afternoon (seven in the afternoon, Spanish peninsular time) to the citizens, under the slogan "Let's Reclaim These Streets", to demand greater security and protection in the streets of the city.

After unsuccessfully trying to fight in court the order to stop the concentration, due to the current social distancing measures that prevail throughout the United Kingdom, the call was withdrawn.

But the irritation and sadness that thousands of women had expressed throughout the week at the repetition of a well-known story have ended up being expressed in the streets.

Kate Middleton herself, Duchess of Cambridge, went to the bandstand in Clapham Common Park where the demonstration had been called, and laid flowers in memory of the murdered woman.

"She has also recalled," said a source from the British royal house, "what it meant for any woman to walk the streets of London alone."

The 33-year-old executive left a friend's house in the Clapham neighborhood at nine o'clock at night and nothing was heard from her again.

Six days later, Scotland Yard arrested Wayne Couzens, a 48-year-old police officer, as the main suspect in his kidnapping and murder.

The next day, after a massive search involving more than 150 officers, Everard's remains were located in a wooded area in the town of Kent, in southern England.

The fact that the alleged assassin was eventually a member of the security forces has compounded a growing tension that the Boris Johnson government has been struggling to quell.

“Shame on you!

The police did not protect her! "

and "Arrest yours!", the women concentrated in the park kept shouting late into the night to the dozens of officers who were trying to protect the sanctuary erected in memory of Everard.

“The concentration at Clapham Common is not safe.

Hundreds of people are crowded in breach of social restrictions and putting public health at risk.

We ask citizens to return home, ”the police warned with little success in a public statement.

During the vigil there have been some struggles between officers and protesters, when several of them have been evicted from the center of the kiosk and forced to remain behind the police tape that surrounded it.

I will do everything I can to make sure the streets are safe and ensure women and girls do not face harassment or abuse.

- Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) March 13, 2021

Several cities throughout the United Kingdom such as Nottingham or Glasgow also improvised points of tribute where to deposit flowers and demand greater security.

Thousands of households have lit a candle in their windows to participate in the vigil.

"I will do everything in my power to make our streets safer and so that women and girls do not suffer any kind of harassment or abuse," wrote the Prime Minister on Twitter on Twitter.

He, too, lit a candle outside Downing Street.

The Interior Minister, Priti Pattel, has tried in recent days to redirect the heated spirits of the population with a public initiative in search of measures that help reduce violence against women and girls.

“In just 24 hours”, he announced this Saturday, “we have received more than 20,000 suggestions.

This is unprecedented and we will take all ideas into consideration.

I will also light a candle tonight in memory of Sarah ”.

Social networks have been inundated these days with thousands of messages from women describing their own experiences and fears when walking the streets of London and other cities in the United Kingdom alone.

The main defendant, Couzens, has appeared this Saturday before the judge, where he has been formally accused of kidnapping and murder.

Those responsible for the investigation have reported that Everard's body was found inside a construction sack, and that I can only be identified through his dental history.