Watchdog defends police handling of vigil that caused uproar in Britain

By Karla Adam,

Joshua Bratt EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

A woman is led away by police during a vigil in London’s Clapham Common for Sarah Everard, a 33-year-old marketing executive who was killed while walking home, on March 13, 2021.

LONDON — London police did not act in a heavy-handed manner at a vigil for Sarah Everard, an independent watchdog concluded, although it acknowledged that the event was a public relations disaster.

A report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary published Tuesday found that Metropolitan Police officers “did not act inappropriately” and were “justified in adopting the view that the risks of transmitting COVID-19 at the vigil were too great to ignore.”

Like officers in the United States, police in Britain are under heightened scrutiny over their handling of large demonstrations in the pandemic era, including Black Lives Matter protests and vigils for Everard.

Just last week, protesters in the English city of Bristol clashed with police during a gathering to denounce legislation that would give authorities more powers to clamp down on rallies.

[Women in U.K. demand change after police officer is questioned on suspicion of killing a woman walking home]

Matt Parr, who led the team that looked into the Everard vigil, said in a statement, “After reviewing a huge body of evidence — rather than a snapshot on social media — we found that there are some things the Met could have done better, but we saw nothing to suggest police officers acted in anything but a measured and proportionate way in challenging circumstances.”

He said that some armchair critics were too quick to judge the situation. Shortly after images and video footage of scuffles at the vigil circulated online, figures from across the political spectrum criticized the police actions.

“Condemnation of the Met’s actions within mere hours of the vigil — including from people in positions of responsibility — was unwarranted, showed a lack of respect for public servants facing a complex situation, and undermined public confidence in policing based on very limited evidence,” Parr said.

The killing of Everard, a 33-year-old marketing executive who disappeared while walking home on March 3 and whose remains were found a few days later, sparked a national outcry over gender-based violence. Wayne Couzens, a police officer, has been charged in Everard’s death and is scheduled to stand trial later this year.

Gatherings in Everard’s memory were officially canceled after talks between organizers and police broke down over disagreements about the legality of groups congregating amid lockdown restrictions.

But on March 13, people began gathering at a bandstand in London’s Clapham Common, a park Everard may have walked through on her way home. Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, was among the hundreds who came to the park during the day to lay flowers.

[Outrage over use of force at Sarah Everard vigil shows perils of policing protests in lockdown]

In the report, the inspectors said the scene began to turn around 6 p.m., after the crowd held a minute’s silence. That was followed by a “rally, complete with microphones, a public address system, placards and a dense crowd. Police made nine arrests as they moved to disperse the crowd,” the report said.

Images from the scene went viral, including those of a woman shouting as officers held her hands behind her back. The optics of officers arresting women at a vigil for a woman alleged to have been killed by an officer caused an uproar.

The inspectors reviewed hundreds of documents and body-camera footage from police, and they conducted interviews with a number of groups.

The inspectors said that an officer was told “I hope you get raped,” another was punched in the face, and another had their baton taken. One police supervisor told the watchdog: “This felt like two events running at the same time, in the same place, with the crowd partaking in a protest whilst people on the outside (were) having a respectful vigil.”

The report also criticized the Met Police for some of their public statements after the vigil.

“The media coverage of this incident led to what many will conclude was a public relations disaster for the Metropolitan Police. It was on a national and international scale, with a materially adverse effect on public confidence in policing,” the watchdog said.

While the inspectors cleared the police of wrongdoing, they said that “a more conciliatory response might have served the force’s interests better.”

In Britain, protests over the death of George Floyd revive memories of others killed by police

From guns to neck restraint: How police tactics differ around the world