It’s a tragic story. Does anyone know whether this fellow would have been on duty when he allegedly committed this crime? If he did not know Sarah Evergard, this raises this question of whether he has done this before. Certainly, it’s also police work that is bringing him to justice. Regrettable but still true that women even in “civil society” must exercise care when walking alone at night.
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Anyway, I regret getting involved in this. I don’t want to step on any toes and sorry if I have. I just thought some of you were unreasonable after I watched the video a couple of times, as it didn’t register as being worthy of criticism in my mind. Also, if I dare say it, one must remember that every year, there is a story about some nurse in some country that kills patients, but none of us usually cast blame on nurses or doctors just because of a few of them being killers. I doubt there is an occupation where there are not murderers some where, be it fire services, surgeons, police or teachers, all careers have killers. Worth remembering that.
Have a good night everyone.
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Magnus,
I am not personally saying, every SINGLE Police officer is corrupt. 
You misunderstood my post.
I am giving the general consensus of how many women feel. They see harrassment alot of the time, being followed in street, a random stranger taking their picture of them on the tube, being harrassed whilst jogging in the park.
All i am saying, the Police could have handled it better and worked with the groups and found a solution to make both sides happy within the Covid restrictions.
Also, feelings are running high. This poor girl who died, it could be any of us. The fact that she was abducted of a residential street in safe neighbourhood where people are out and about is disturbing and scary.
Its okay Magnus, no offence taken:+1:
. I am just saying it from a woman’s perspective
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Being cynical, you could argue that this sort of story is exactly the sort of story that Reclaim the Streets were hoping for. It’s the perfect imagery for them.
It’s also fairly clear that some protestors were deliberately trying to provoke the police and it’s patently obvious that the protest as a whole was unlawful in that it clearly is in breach of the lockdown rules. Extremely disingenuous of the organisers to be suggesting that the Court has somehow endorsed this when the opposite is true.
All that said I go back to my original point. Why couldn’t the police ensure that it was female officers who took the lead in any need for physical restraint/intervention?
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Riots tonight I’m sure.
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Unfortunately, the sad truth about the police force is it’s not only institutionally racist, sexist, etc. It’s also institutionally thick as fuck.
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I have a problem with a few thousand people gathering standing shoulder to shoulder during lockdown.
I also have a problem with the suggestion (eg the sign ‘killed by the system we’re told protects’) that the police institution was somehow part of, or protected, the perpetrator when at this point there isn’t any evidence whatsoever of that.
Terrible optics with the arrests though. The police should have helped with organisation. Were the arrests on the back of the social distancing rules or violence?
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The reason that woman is on the floor seemingly doesn’t matter (according to FB). All that matters is that a woman is bound and gagged by men. If it turns out 10 minutes before she’s screaming in their faces, spitting and punching (if) then it still won’t matter. The police were obviously just wrong.
We worked last summer with multiple authorities and police forces for several months to hold events. If at midnight the night before (or on the day as there were officials inspecting) any of the events would have been cancelled, I’d have expected horses and baton charges if we’d have gone ahead anyway.
As for the idea that all the police should have been female, well, we either agree on equality or we don’t. Would have set a worrying precedent too.
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How do you know how they acted? Were you there? Is there any footage but selected from the crowd?
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I’m not saying all the police should be female but at this specific gathering if women needed to be physically removed it ought to have been done by female police officers. Put it this way, they should have been womanhandled not manhandled.
I also don’t think that should be particularly controversial. Pretty sure that a male police officer isn’t permitted to conduct a body search of a woman. I don’t really think that’s a finger in the eye to equality.
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Under normal circumstances I might agree but an illegal gathering (as they knew full well it was) loses some rights, by definition.
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You have to consider the cause or the context. It wasn’t for some ordinary issues.
In all autocratic countries, including Bangladesh, the legality of the protest is used to justify the suppression.
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I’m just sick of the divides in our society getting bigger rather than smaller of late. The anger in society is scary, and to me there is far too much reactivity from people. Everyone is quick to shout out and scream out for their corners, largely driven by misinformation and the need to take a side.
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El Dorado,
Some women in their differing respective professions work different hours, shift work, some have to work until late or early morning and do not always have a friend or chaperone to walk them to the bus stop, the tube station or to a safe well lit area. They have no choice to walk alone.
I have had to do it on several occasions going home late from work. Women don’t want to keep looking over their shoulders every minute whilst walking home.
Sarah Everard was walking around about 9:30 pm, (to me that is not that late), in a well lit residential area and vanished.
Also, this gathering was not a protest, it was a vigil. Feelings are running high right now. The tension needs to be diffused. Men also need to speak out as well and reassure the women not to be afraid when they are out and about.
It’s nice to get the support of the male contingent of TAN 
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There is one female who definitely should have been there though…Cressida Dick.
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When I was growing up, you used to have the local Policeman on the beat in your local area, everyone knew him in the neighbourhood. It was safe in a way, now we don’t have that safety. The police will only patrol the area, after the incident.
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So it does reflect the community it serves after all.
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So when I’m out and about you want me to carry some kind of sign? Maybe a hat? Or did I get the wrong end of that stick?
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