Court: London police acted unlawfully to stop Everard vigil
ABC News
A British court has ruled that London police acted unlawfully when they used coronavirus restrictions to prevent a vigil in memory of a murdered woman
LONDON -- London police acted unlawfully when they used coronavirus restrictions to prevent a vigil in memory of a murdered woman, a court ruled Friday in a victory for the event's organizers and the right to protest.
The protest vigil was called after Sarah Everard, a 33-year-old London woman, was abducted and murdered in March 2021 by an off-duty Metropolitan Police officer as she walked home at night.
The crime shocked the country, angered many women and raised questions about a police force that unknowingly harbored a murderer in its ranks. Police officer Wayne Couzens pleaded guilty to Everard’s murder and was sentenced in September to life in prison with no chance of parole.
The group Reclaim These Streets attempted to organize a socially distanced vigil on the city’s Clapham Common, near where Everard was abducted. But the four main organizers canceled it after police told them they faced fines of 10,000 pounds ($13,000) each and possible prosecution for violating coronavirus restrictions.
