Sarah Everard vigil: Police Federation chief says XR, Antifa and BLM 'hijacked' Clapham event
A police federation chief has defended the actions of officers at the vigil for Sarah Everard and claimed the event had been 'hijacked' by Antifa, Black Lives Matter and Extinction Rebellion protesters.
Ken Marsh, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said that 90 per cent of those at the Clapham Common vigil on Saturday had walked away before it became a rally in breach of lockdown.
Police faced heavy criticism and the Met's Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick was under pressure to resign after officers were seen man-handling women at the event.
Mr Marsh says the peaceful vigil had been infiltrated by Antifa, BLM and Extinction Rebellion demonstrators - and officers had been punched, spat at and abused at the event.
'Twenty-six of my colleagues were abused, spat at or punched,' Mr Marsh told The Telegraph. 'One black female officer was racially abused. An individual was arrested. This is unfortunately what happens with things like this. They get hijacked.'
Footage from the vigil shows mourners packed together around floral tributes left for Ms Everard - with a number of demonstrators shouting: 'No justice, no peace, f*** the police.'
One of the attendees, stood next to the person filming, had brought a megaphone.
Demonstrators marched through the streets of London for the second night on Monday, with crowds gathering in Parliament Square and outside New Scotland Yard before briefly blocking traffic on Westminster Bridge - amid growing pressure on the Government to tackle violence against women.
Boris Johnson has now unveiled plans to place plain-clothed police officers in nightclubs, while also spending £45million on improving street lights and CCTV coverage to better protect women after thousands took to the streets demanding action to protect women from predators.
Protestors shout 'f*** the police' at Sarah Everard vigil
Mr Marsh said four or five officers are required to restrain one person because they might fall or harm themselves if just one officer tried to.
Boris Johnson unveils plans to place plain-clothed police officers in nightclubs and double spending on street lights and CCTV
Boris Johnson has unveiled plans to place plain-clothed police officers in nightclubs, while also spending £45million on improving street lights and CCTV coverage to better protect women after thousands took to the streets demanding action to protect women from predators.
Demonstrators marched through the streets of London for the second night on Monday, with crowds gathering in Parliament Square and outside New Scotland Yard, before briefly blocking traffic on Westminster Bridge.
Yesterday Boris Johnson chaired a meeting of the Criminal Justice Taskforce, amid a huge campaign to end violence against women and girls in the wake of Sarah Everard's death.
The PM said last night: 'The horrific case of Sarah Everard has unleashed a wave of feeling about women not feeling safe at night.
'Ultimately, we must drive out violence against women and girls and make every part of the criminal justice system work to better protect and defend them.'
The Government's announcement last night saw £25million added to the Safer Streets Fund, which provides neighbourhood measures such as better lighting and CCTV, bringing the total budget up to £45million.
It also said there would be a 'commitment' with officials to ensure potential target areas such as parks and alleyways and routes from bars, restaurants and nightclubs, are properly policed, with officers 'focused on preventing sexual violence'.
It also plans to work with local constabularies to deploy uniformed and plain clothes officers around nightclubs and bars to ensure women are safe, while also increasing patrols as people leave at closing time. It follows a successful scheme dubbed 'Project Vigilant,' which was used by Thames Valley Police.
The PM's comments came ahead of a vote on Tuesday for the The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which could allow officers to intervene in events that are deemed to have caused 'serious unease, alarm or distress'.
It has been criticised for plans to raise the maximum sentence for vandalising statues up to 10 years.
Last night the Government said the bill would provide tougher sentences serious violence and sexual assaults, while improving protection for victims and creating news offences, such as non-fatal strangulation.
'It looks overbearing and heavyhanded, it's not. It's to protect you as much as us,' he said.
'If it was just a peaceful vigil, there would have been no issues but it wasn't unfortunately. We had to take the action we had to take.'
A senior Met source said they had seen body-worn footage and by one stage of the evening the event had 'definitely' become 'a protest and not a vigil'.
The source said: 'There is a real discomfort at what we feel has been the politicisation of the police. We don't always get it right but we must be allowed to be operationally independent.
'There is no doubt that it will make things difficult during the remainder of lockdown because groups intent on causing trouble will see this is an opportunity to make the police look bad.'
Four people were arrested and two received fixed penalty notices amid further protests over the policing of the Sarah Everard vigil in central London.
Demonstrators again took to the streets of the capital on Monday afternoon and evening to continue to protest over the police's handling of the vigil as well as over the Government's Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.
The Metropolitan Police said it had 'maintained an appropriate policing plan' during the protest action around Parliament Square, Trafalgar Square and parts of the West End.
Protesters blocked 'a number of roads' and caused traffic disruption, the force added.
Many protesters chose to leave the area when encouraged to do so by officers, but others remained in the Westminster area, the Met added.
Temporary Deputy Assistant Commissioner Jane Connors said: 'Whilst I understand why people feel the need to express their views at this time, we must remember that we are still in the middle of a pandemic, and that there is the constant risk of transmitting the coronavirus.
'Our officers were once again out on the streets, with the primary role of trying to ensure people's safety during this health crisis.
'Despite many people adhering to officers' instructions to leave the area and go home, we had to take some enforcement action as the evening progressed.'
Yesterday Boris Johnson chaired a meeting of the Criminal Justice Taskforce, amid a huge campaign to end violence against women and girls in the wake of Sarah Everard's death.
The PM said last night: 'The horrific case of Sarah Everard has unleashed a wave of feeling about women not feeling safe at night.
'Ultimately, we must drive out violence against women and girls and make every part of the criminal justice system work to better protect and defend them.'
The Government's announcement last night saw £25million added to the Safer Streets Fund, which provides neighbourhood measures such as better lighting and CCTV, bringing the total budget up to £45million.
It also said there would be a 'commitment' with officials to ensure potential target areas such as parks and alleyways and routes from bars, restaurants and nightclubs, are properly policed, with officers 'focused on preventing sexual violence'.
It also plans to work
with local constabularies to deploy uniformed and plain clothes officers
around nightclubs and bars to ensure women are safe, while also
increasing patrols as people leave at closing time. It follows a
successful scheme dubbed 'Project Vigilant,' which was used by Thames
Valley Police.
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