September 13th 2023.
Patsy Stevenson and Dania Al-Obeid have been vindicated after receiving payouts from the Metropolitan Police for their arrests at the Sarah Everard vigil. The Met was heavily criticised for its 'heavy handed' and 'tone deaf' reaction to the event, which was held in March 2021 in the wake Ms Everard's murder by Wayne Couzens, a serving police officer.
Ms Stevenson said it had taken over two years to reach this resolution, but it had been important to push for justice and accountability for all women who attended the vigil. She added: 'I have felt abused, abandoned by the police prior to, during and post the vigil – I do not feel protected or safe with any police force.'
Ms Al-Obeid echoed this sentiment, saying she had found the journey incredibly difficult, but very important as a survivor of domestic violence and someone who has been failed by the police. She added: 'Acknowledging that the fundamental right to protest remained, the circumstances at the time of the vigil – namely that we were in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic – presented an extremely difficult challenge for policing... I appreciate that the Met Police have acknowledged our motivations for attending it but “badly let down” is an understatement.'
The Met’s approach to the vigil was considered 'heavy handed' and a legal battle ensued after the original Reclaim These Streets organisers successfully argued their right to protest had been breached by the Met. Commander Karen Findlay wrote in letters to both women: 'The policing plan for the vigil was devised to provide an opportunity for members of the public to attend in order to express their grief and anger.'
The spokesperson for the Met said: 'We tried to achieve a balance that recognised the rights of the public to protest and to express their grief and sadness, while also continuing to enforce the relevant Covid legislation.' Couzens will spend the rest of his life in prison and the original protest was cancelled after the Met threatened to fine Reclaim These Streets £10,000.
The payouts to Ms Stevenson and Ms Al-Obeid are a welcome resolution in a long and difficult process. It is a recognition that the Met must take responsibility for its actions and that the right to protest is fundamental to our democracy.
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