Police storming the vigil for Sarah Everard, in photos

Reclaim the streets — Last weekend, a peaceful vigil was held in memory of Sarah Everard. Our photographer, Theo McInnes, was on hand to capture the event, which started off as a sombre affair but later turned into a stark display of a police force drunk on power.

Last Saturday (March 13), thousands of people attended vigils across the country in memory of Sarah Everard, galvanised by the urgent demand that women should be able to walk the streets without fear of violence. As night fell, the Metropolitan Police began to storm the event in London, manhandling attendees and trampling on flowers laid in Sarah’s memory. It served as yet another painful confirmation that the threat of state-sanctioned violence is still an ever-present reality.

A High Court ruled that the #ReclaimTheseStreets vigil organised to take place on Clapham Common was not inherently “unlawful” under coronavirus regulations, but refused to intervene directly in the case. Despite this, the Metropolitan Police stood by their decision that attending the vigil would be unlawful and that organisers would risk £10,000 fines each if the event were to go ahead.

Mishti Ali, a student in Cambridge who organised a vigil in the city, told Huck: “I’m really angry about the event being cancelled. Protest is a human right, and a pandemic doesn’t affect that. I organised the event because Sarah’s case really touched my heart… I don’t want there to be another supposed ‘watershed moment’ 18 months down the line. I want this to be the end of it.”

While the official event was cancelled, hundreds did still attend to show their respect, led by the activist group, Sisters Uncut. It started as a sombre affair as thousands gathered at the bandstand, joining in a minutes silence to remember Sarah Everard.

As a serving Metropolitan Police officer appeared in court charged with the kidnapping and murder of Sarah Everard, his fellow officers descended on Clapham Common, arresting several women present at the vigil. Chants of “who killed Sarah, you killed Sarah” erupted as more police arrived.

as the police began to reportedly make arrests, those in the crowd turned on the lights on their phones and chanted “shame on you” pic.twitter.com/voPzMwRl2O

— huck (@HUCKmagazine) March 13, 2021

A speaker on a megaphone said: “It is our duty to fight for our freedom, it is our duty to win, we must love and support each other, we have nothing but to lose but our chains”. Videos from the event show several male officers pinning women to the ground as they were arrested despite the pleas of attendees for the police to leave.

The excessive force and brutality of the Metropolitan Police’s actions in escalating what had been a peaceful event has face condemnation across the political spectrum in the UK, with many calling for the resignation of the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Cressida Dick. Without real structural change, however, we are unlikely to see a culture shift in the Metropolitan Police that won’t result in these horrific scenes repeated just as they were during last summer’s Black Lives Matter protests.

Our photographer Theo McInnes went to document a peaceful vigil for Sarah Everard on Clapham Common. He ended up capturing a stark display of a police force drunk on power, as they shamelessly and aggressively broke up the event.

Follow Sisters Uncut on Twitter

Follow Theo McInnes on Instagram

Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.


Ad

Latest on Huck

Silhouette of person on horseback against orange sunset sky, with electricity pylon in foreground.
Culture

The inner-city riding club serving Newcastle’s youth

Stepney Western — Harry Lawson’s new experimental documentary sets up a Western film in the English North East, by focusing on a stables that also functions as a charity for disadvantaged young people.

Written by: Isaac Muk

Couple sitting on ground in book-filled environment
Culture

The British intimacy of ‘the afters’

Not Going Home — In 1998, photographer Mischa Haller travelled to nightclubs just as their doors were shutting and dancers streamed out onto the streets, capturing the country’s partying youth in the early morning haze.

Written by: Ella Glossop

Black and white image of people in traditional Japanese dress, some holding fans, with dramatic lighting.
Photography

See winners of the World Press Photo Contest 2025

A view from the frontlines — There are 42 winning photographers this year, selected from 59,320 entries. 

Written by: Zahra Onsori

Neon-lit studio with two people in red shirts working on an unidentified task.
Youth Culture

Inside Kashmir’s growing youth tattoo movement

Catharsis in ink — Despite being forbidden under Islam, a wave of tattoo shops are springing up in India-administered Kashmir. Saqib Mugloo spoke to those on both ends of the needle.

Written by: Saqib Mugloo

Two individuals, a woman with long brown hair and a man with dark skin, standing close together against a plain white background.
Sport

The forgotten women’s football film banned in Brazil

Onda Nova — With cross-dressing footballers, lesbian sex and the dawn of women’s football, the cult movie was first released in 1983, before being censored by the country’s military dictatorship. Now restored and re-released, it’s being shown in London at this year’s BFI Flare film festival.

Written by: Jake Hall

Group of young men with graffiti-covered wall behind them.
© David Corio
Music

In the dressing room with the 20th century’s greatest musicians

Backstage 1977-2000 — As a photographer for NME, David Corio spent two decades lounging behind the scenes with the world’s biggest music stars. A new photobook revisits his archive of candid portraits.

Written by: Miss Rosen

Signup to our newsletter

Sign up to stay informed from the cutting edge of sport, music and counterculture, with personal takes on the state of media and pop culture in your inbox every month from Emma Garland, former Digital Editor of Huck, exclusive interviews, recommendations and more.

Please wait...

Accessibility Settings

Text

Applies the Open Dyslexic font, designed to improve readability for individuals with dyslexia.

Applies a more readable font throughout the website, improving readability.

Underlines links throughout the website, making them easier to distinguish.

Adjusts the font size for improved readability.

Visuals

Reduces animations and disables autoplaying videos across the website, reducing distractions and improving focus.

Reduces the colour saturation throughout the website to create a more soothing visual experience.

Increases the contrast of elements on the website, making text and interface elements easier to distinguish.