Sarah Everard vigil

Summerlove

It’s good to know how many people are still fighting to keep women in their box.

So disheartening.

Isn't it just
So much for the sisterhood
Perhaps we should all just stay at home quietly and light candles until some men tell us differently

On the news;
Sarah Everard vigil 'was hijacked': Police Federation chief claims protestors from Extinction Rebellion, Antifa and Black Lives Matter infiltrated Clapham event and officers were spat at, punched and abused .

lemsip

On the news;
Sarah Everard vigil 'was hijacked': Police Federation chief claims protestors from Extinction Rebellion, Antifa and Black Lives Matter infiltrated Clapham event and officers were spat at, punched and abused .

Well that must be true then - the PF couldn’t possibly have am agenda could it?

Just say, at a stretch, that maybe, just maybe the Police had information beforehand that led them to believe that a peaceful vigil was going to be infiltrated and 'hijacked' by several known direct action groups. They would need to be there, it's their job.

I tend towards that being their overall agenda. Unless there's some concrete evidence that they're all reading the Handmaid's Tale thinking it's a reference manual.

One of the organisations involved in the protests is not in my view representative of the many organisations campaigning against violence towards women and girls. I find them a little concerning to say the least.
In other news an officer has been suspended for allegedly sending inappropriate images so they do seem to be reading some manual on how to treat women badly.

Galaxy

One of the organisations involved in the protests is not in my view representative of the many organisations campaigning against violence towards women and girls. I find them a little concerning to say the least.
In other news an officer has been suspended for allegedly sending inappropriate images so they do seem to be reading some manual on how to treat women badly.

In any broad based political movement you will have some extreme elements. This does not mean the overall issue is to be dismissed.

As for the police officer - he’s a probationer and has not been suspended but moved to back office duties. It’s awful to think that he’s only recently been trained but heartening that it was other officers who reported him. It’s less than a year since some police officers ( Met again) posted selfies of themselves with the bodies of two dead murdered sisters. I know the former wasn’t a photo of the victim but it does beg the question of what the Met is playing at when it can’t control its officers guarding murder scenes.

welbeck

i watched it on a live feed, i would guess most people attending lived within walking distance.

I would not agree with that, the event was held in Clapham obviously because that's where the tragedy took place, it is logical to me that people would come to that area from all over, because the vigil would have been more powerful where it was held and they wanted to mark that area with flowers, much like the flowers laid for Diana at KP it was the place where people felt there was a better connection and where others would be doing the same. It wasn't a local Clapham vigil it was a London vigil first and foremost and also went nationwide, I would say (unless your live feed showed all 3 local stations and bus stops) that most people would have come from areas around London and used public transport to get there and back

My SiL is a Met police officer who has policed many demonstrations this year. Along with fellow officers, he has been attacked, spat at, deliberately coughed at and generally abused. When these people were asked not to attend because of Covid regulations, then they should have known the event would be policed. They made the decision to attend and took the risk upon themselves. No sympathy.
Also, a demonstration isn’t going to stop murdering rapist. They are not afraid of breaking the law so won’t change their ways because of these protests.

Nannytopsy, I agree, unfortunately, awareness, legislation, education and a change of attitudes will never stop the lone psychopath.

I wonder how many deaths will be caused, indirectly, by the spread of Covid amongst demonstrators and their families?

the police have had a terrible year. Years of cuts left them depleted in numbers. They’re expected to police the Covid laws and guidance on top of everything else. Nannytopsy paints an accurate picture of the way some members of the public treat them.
no one could expect a ‘murdering rapist’ to be stopped by protests. The protests reflect the level of anger about violence to women. The subject is on ever phone in, news media and is being discussed on forums like this.
Is it too much to expect social policies that reflect research? Family Centres, children’s services, drug/alcohol teams, etc all subject to devastating cuts. This despite overwhelming evidence that investing in early years and good public services has positive outcomes to society

Hetty58

Nannytopsy, I agree, unfortunately, awareness, legislation, education and a change of attitudes will never stop the lone psychopath.

I wonder how many deaths will be caused, indirectly, by the spread of Covid amongst demonstrators and their families?

I think that’s unfair and really not the point - did you post about Rangers, Liverpool etc in terms of increased deaths or is just when mainly women gather that deaths might result?

Nannytopsy

My SiL is a Met police officer who has policed many demonstrations this year. Along with fellow officers, he has been attacked, spat at, deliberately coughed at and generally abused. When these people were asked not to attend because of Covid regulations, then they should have known the event would be policed. They made the decision to attend and took the risk upon themselves. No sympathy.
Also, a demonstration isn’t going to stop murdering rapist. They are not afraid of breaking the law so won’t change their ways because of these protests.

It’s really not simply about stopping murdering rapists is it?

It was supposed to be a vigil, which is a period of silent reflection and contemplation, in memory of Sarah Everard.

Any protests, demonstrations, should have been held separately, post covid.

As a ‘ job’ ( Police ) family I agree entirely with those posters who recognise how difficult it is for them to enforce WHAT THE LAW REQUIRES. I support the movement that is saying that harassment and violence towards women is completely unacceptable, I have lobbied my MP and will continue to do so. And I am appalled at Sarah Everard’s death. But .... I wouldn’t have dreamt of breaking the law and therefore put the Police in such an impossible situation by going to take part in the vigil/ protest .

Nanna58

As a ‘ job’ ( Police ) family I agree entirely with those posters who recognise how difficult it is for them to enforce WHAT THE LAW REQUIRES. I support the movement that is saying that harassment and violence towards women is completely unacceptable, I have lobbied my MP and will continue to do so. And I am appalled at Sarah Everard’s death. But .... I wouldn’t have dreamt of breaking the law and therefore put the Police in such an impossible situation by going to take part in the vigil/ protest .

So why do different gatherings/ protests get policed so differently? The real failures are at the top in both the police and government. Laws don’t come from nowhere and operational policing matters are decisions not random chance

It was supposed to be a vigil, which is a period of silent reflection and contemplation, in memory of Sarah Everard. yes that is what it was supposed to be. yes eazybee it was.

but highjacked because as one poster explained 'it was a high profile death' they were just waiting in the wings for
such a death. any other murder not so high profile wouldn't have done ............

lemsip

It was supposed to be a vigil, which is a period of silent reflection and contemplation, in memory of Sarah Everard. yes that is what it was supposed to be. yes eazybee it was.

but highjacked because as one poster explained 'it was a high profile death' they were just waiting in the wings for
such a death. any other murder not so high profile wouldn't have done ............

Well it turned out differently and it really isn’t worth continuing to complain about that is it? Things have quietened down now and what matters is what changes fir girls and women going forward.
As to the comment aimed at me about ‘high profile death’ this is a misinterpretation of what I said. Of course high profile deaths will be seized on by some people with other agendas. It’s a fact of political life whether we like it or not - high profile cases of any kind become totemic of particular issues and sadly sometimes misused. That doesn’t and shouldn’t deflect from the importance of the underpinning issue

How many of us knew exactly what it is was going to be because human beings are predictably stupid and don't know the difference between a cause and a campaign?

It wasn't a vigil at all. It wasn't quiet, thoughtful, respectful - or appropriate.

It was, as I suspected, just used as an excuse for a good old demo, bit of public disorder, fun day out - and a grand time was had by all (except the police, of course) - disgraceful!

Hetty58

It wasn't a vigil at all. It wasn't quiet, thoughtful, respectful - or appropriate.

It was, as I suspected, just used as an excuse for a good old demo, bit of public disorder, fun day out - and a grand time was had by all (except the police, of course) - disgraceful!

Why does this matter now?

It was for most of the day.

...a vigil I mean

Sarah's trial is scheduled for the autumn. Will it be too much to ask that the country can show some dignity and compassion to Sarah's memory and her family and friends? Put the 'Kill The Bill' placards away, observe the Covid restrictions and let the police get on with their job.

Food for thought NellG!

Hetty I know for a fact ( unlike you) that many people who attended did NOT do it for a“ fun day out”.