Sarah Everard vigil: Patsy Stevenson reveals truth about arrest photo

A protester who was seen being pinned to the ground at a London vigil for Sarah Everard has spoken out as pressure on the police escalates.

The student who was pinned down by police at the Sarah Everard vigil in London has revealed she was “terrified” as UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was “deeply concerned” by the footage.

Patsy Stevenson, whose image became a symbol of the heavy-handed crackdown on Saturday’s gathering, said she still didn’t know why police behaved that way.

“To be honest, I still don’t know why I was pushed to the ground so forcefully,” she said in an interview on ITV’s Good Morning Britain.

“I’m quite small and it was two very large male officers who sort of pulled me back very quickly as I hit the ground.

“From start to finish, it was just a sort of whirlwind, it happened very quickly and I was only there to lay a candle down. I did not expect that to happen.”

There are such "burn the witch" vibes from this photograph. An age-old story of men's power and men's fear. It's bleak as hell, but at the same time: hold on to that look of defiance. pic.twitter.com/SkpwK5d1MD

— Dani Garavelli (@DaniGaravelli1) March 13, 2021

Ms Stevenson was among thousands of people who visited the bandstand on Clapham Common on Saturday to pay leave flowers and light candles for Ms Everard, who went missing near the park on March 3. A Met Police officer has now been charged with her kidnap and murder.

But what was intended to be a peaceful vigil turned violent as police were seen surrounding, roughly grabbing and arresting attendees on Saturday night.

Cressida Dick, London’s Metropolitan Police Commissioner, has faced growing calls to resign after the chaotic scenes of Saturday night. But Ms Dick said that police had to take action over the “unlawful gathering”, which police had banned in advance.

Assistant Commissioner Helen Ball said the force had to act because of the “very real risk of easily transmitting COVID-19”.

The Met has allowed what would have been majority-peaceful demonstration turn into an angry protest.

Instead of seeking to repair broken trust with women it has further destroyed it.

And now this: policemen manhandling women protestors. Seriously?pic.twitter.com/mXjou0DrSM

— Hannah Al-Othman 📝🗞 (@HannahAlOthman) March 13, 2021

“We absolutely did not want to be in a position where enforcement action was necessary. But we were placed in this position because of the overriding need to protect people’s safety,” she said.

Her words were condemned as reflecting “the language of abuse”, with many pointing out that they had a right to plan a distanced and peaceful protest.

Opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, a former public prosecutor, called the scenes “deeply disturbing”.

Protesters calling for greater public safety for women after the death of Sarah Everard gather in Parliament Square in central London on Sunday. Picture: Daniel Leal-Olivas / AFP

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Mr Johnson said he was “deeply concerned about the footage” but gave his full backing to Ms Dick.

“The police do have a very, very difficult job, but there’s no question that the scenes we saw were very distressing,” he told reporters on Monday.

Mr Johnson said Tom Winsor, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary, would do a full report into the incident.

Protesters at Parliament Square after criticism of police behaviour at the Clapham Common vigil for Ms Everard on Saturday night. Picture: Hollie Adams/Getty Images

Many UK residents want to see more action, amid a groundswell of anger over high levels of violence against women and a lack of safety on the streets — a movement reflected in Australia’s March 4 Justice and outrage over sexual harassment and assault in the heart of government.

Saturday’s vigil in south London was followed by a protest outside the UK Parliament and the mat Police headquarters at New Scotland Yard, holding placards reading “Police are the perpetrators” and “Which vaccine protects me from this pandemic?”

Ms Stevenson pointed to “how strange” it was that women “don’t have the freedom” to walk the streets without fear of attack.

“Women have stood by and let things happen for long enough,” she added.

The 33-year-old went missing in south London on the night of March 3, and police officer Wayne Couzens has now been charged with her kidnap and murder. Picture: Metropolitan Police / AFP

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A 27-year-old named Georgina told local magazine Lambeth Life that she was flashed by a man as she left the vigil, but claimed police dismissed her, saying: “No, we’ve had enough tonight with the rioters”.

“I was just shocked to be told essentially to go away. Even if they said ‘were not going to go into it but we’ll walk you, that would have been something,” she said.

Opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, a former public prosecutor, called the scenes in Clapham “deeply disturbing”, while London mayor Sadiq Khan said they were “completely unacceptable”.

Four arrests were made for public order offences and breaches of coronavirus regulations, the Met Police said.

Police officer Wayne Couzens will face court on charges of kidnap and murder on Tuesday.