Sarah Everard vigil in south London cancelled, organisers say

A vigil in south London in response to the disappearance of Sarah Everard has been cancelled, organisers said.

Organisers Reclaim These Streets planned to host a demonstration on Clapham Common in south London on Saturday, near to where the 33-year-old, whose body was formally identified on Friday, went missing. But organisers said that despite their attempts to work with police to ensure the vigil could go ahead safely, they now felt it could not go ahead.

The group tweeted: “Update: We are sorry to confirm that our Clapham vigil scheduled for tonight is cancelled.”

In a statement organisers said: “We have been very disappointed that given the many opportunities to engage with organisers constructively the Met police have been unwilling to commit to anything.”

They added: “Instead, we are fundraising £320,000 for women’s causes: £10K for every proposed fine for the 32 vigils originally scheduled.”

Organisers appealed to people not to attend Clapham Common for the previously planned demonstration and said details of a “virtual gathering” would be announced later on Saturday.

As well as the Clapham Common event, vigils were planned in at least two dozen other towns and cities after the alleged murder of Everard, whose body was identified on Friday in woodland in Kent, more than a week after she vanished on the way to her home in south London.

On Friday evening a high court judge refused an application byReclaim These Streets to make “an interim declaration” that any ban on outdoor gatherings under coronavirus regulations was “subject to the right to protest”.

The Met police urged people on Friday to “find a safe alternative way to express their views”.

Scotland announced on Friday that in-person vigils paying tribute to Everard, which were due to be held in Edinburgh on Saturday, had been cancelled by organisers in favour of an online-only event.

source: theguardian.com