UK law enforcement defend handling of women's safety protest
London's Metropolitan Law enforcement on Sunday defended its handling of a high-account protest phoning for greater public safeness for women, after man officers had been seen scuffling with the audience and physically restraining feminine demonstrators.
Hundreds defied coronavirus restrictions on Saturday night to assemble on Clapham Common recreation area to mark the loss of life of Sarah Everard, who went missing local as she walked residence earlier this month. The 33-year-old marketing executive was afterwards found lifeless. A serving officer with the London push has since been billed with her kidnap and murder.
But widely shared footage of uniformed cops restraining and handcuffing plenty of women marking Everard's loss of life with a candlelit tribute has triggered outrage. Protest organizers Reclaim These Roads condemned the activities of officers "physically manhandling females at a vigil against male violence."
Residence Secretary Priti Patel and London Mayor Sadiq Khan have both demanded explanations from Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick, who has faced cell phone calls to quit. But among Dick's deputies, Helen Ball, said law enforcement, who had refused authorization for the vigil to take place, "must action for people's safeness." "Hundreds of men and women were packed tightly along, posing an extremely real threat of easily transmitting COVID-19" she added in a affirmation early Sunday - Mother's Day time in Britain.
"Regrettably, a small minority of people started chanting at officers, pressing and throwing things."We absolutely did not want to be ready where enforcement actions was important. But we were placed in this position as a result of the overriding need to protect people's safeness."Four arrests were designed for public purchase offenses and for breaches of coronavirus restrictions, the force said.
