A string of female MPs have criticised the Metropolitan Police force for using a “heavy-handed physical response” following clashes between officers and crowd members at the Clapham memorial gathering for Sarah Everard.

Labour’s shadow minister for women and equalities Charlotte Nichols said officers should have “put the resources” into assisting Reclaim These Streets to create a Covid-safe event rather than “stopping any collective show of grief”.

Meanwhile, the Lib Dems’ Wera Hobhouse asked: “Is this really 21st century Britain? What is our police doing?”

She posted footage of police officers physically removing women from the bandstand at Clapham Common, where the vigil was being held.

The leader of the Labour Party has joined the virtual vigil for Sarah Everard, saying he will light a candle in her honour this evening.

Police have deemed the gathering at Clapham Common “unsafe”, and are now urging people to go home.

Footage posted to social media shows police officers pushing people back as the vigil on Clapham Common appears to take a violent turn.

Chants of “f*** the police” can be heard, as one woman shouts: “You’re supposed to protect us!”

It was not immediately clear why the officers began shoving people. There were boos, jeers and shouts of “shame on you” from the crowd as the police officers attempted to walk towards the bandstand.

It was a similar story in Bristol, where a female police officer was booed for asking one member of the crowd to leave the vigil, saying she risks her life to be out dispersing crowds in a pandemic.

A woman could be heard shouting back: “You risk your life every night, love.”

Groups of people gathered for Sarah Everard at locations around the UK, including Glasgow, Bristol and Nottingham, despite the police and Boris Johnson asking everyone to stay at home.

Mandu Reid, leader of the Women’s Equality Party, has said violence against women and girls is “akin to a form of domestic terrorism”.

Speaking at Feminists of London’s virtual vigil, the politician said: “The pain and poignancy of this moment lies in the devastating fact that all women and every girl lives under the perpetual threat that what happened to Sarah could happen to any one of us.

“The reality for women and girls is that the harassment we experience, which is as omnipresent as the air we breathe, could escalate at any time.”

She continued: “I am done with empty platitudes from political leaders from across the spectrum who treat male violence like a tragic but inevitable force of nature, as if they haven’t spent years slashing budgets to prevention programmes and support services.”

Ms Reid added: “Piecemeal measures and individual actions do matter and do make a difference but let’s be real, they won’t turn the tide on this.

“The way to truly honour Sarah and every other woman we’ve lost is to demand that politicians of all stripes treat violence against women and girls as a political and policing priority.”

England and Scotland’s leaders have tweeted their support for the virtual vigil for Sarah Everard, which organisers suggested as a replacement for events cancelled due to coronavirus restrictions.

Boris Johnson said he and Carrie Symonds, his fiancee, would “be lighting a candle” for Everard, while Nicola Sturgeon shared an image of hers already lit.

A fundraising campaign set up on Saturday morning by Reclaim These Streets has already surpassed its target of £320,000.

The figure stood at £337,406 just before 7pm this evening, as crowds gathered at Clapham Common to remember Sarah Everard.

The money will be donated to “women’s charitable causes,” according to those who set it up.

Hundreds of people have gathered at Clapham Common this evening to honour the life of Sarah Everard, who was killed after she walked home from a friend’s house on 3 March.

Many laid flowers, adding to the growing floral tribute at the Common’s bandstand, while others chanted.

“Sisters united will never be defeated,” was one slogan that could be heard.

Some held placards reading “we will not be silenced”, and “she was just walking home”.

An official vigil, organised by Reclaim These Streets, was meant to take place at the same location tonight but it was cancelled after police threatened to fine organisers £10,000 each.

Labour MP for Streatham Bell Ribeiro-Addy tweeted her support for the vigil at Clapham Common, saying the police’s decision to cancel it “makes no sense”.

The Duchess of Cambridge has visited Clapham Common to pay tribute to Sarah Everard, and was seen pausing to look at flowers laid at a memorial, writes Sam Hancock.

Kensington Palace said Kate wanted to join the hundreds of people gathered on the Common so she could “pay her respects to the family and to Sarah”.

“She remembers what is was like to walk around London at night before she was married,” the palace added.

A fundraiser by the organisation hosting many now-cancelled vigils has raised almost £300,000 for women’s charities, drawing close to their £320,000 target.

The money was originally earmarked to go towards paying potential police fines against organisers, but now in-person events are cancelled, the raised funds will go towards a collection of women’s aid charities.

One donator wrote – alongside a £40 donation – “It’s so very very sad and actually pathetic that women are not safe to walk alone. I worry about my daughter whenever she is coming home from London. The poor beautiful Sarah should not have suffered.”

The Duchess of Cambridge was seen pausing in front of floral tributes which had been laid at the bandstand in Clapham Common.

CNN’s Anna Stewart reports the following:

The Duchess of Cambridge has been seen paying her respects to Sarah Everard at the Clapham Common bandstand which is now full of flowers.

A video of Kate, wife of Prince William, shows her adding to the collection of moving sentiments that surrounds the bandstand in South East London, where a vigil was planned to take place tonight.

Organisers of a vigil for Sarah Everard in Brighton have cancelled the event, stating that they do not want to pose a risk to attendees safety.

This comes as Reclaim Our Streets – the organisation behind the vigils – encourages people to host and attend doorstep or virtual vigils in like of the risk from the pandemic.

The court has heard that the remains of Sarah Everard were found in a bag in a forest.

New information coming from the court hearing of Wayne Couzens, who appeared in person before Westminster Magistrates’ Court, details how the body of Ms Everard was found.

A large bandstand at Clapham Common, both were Sarah Everard was last seen alive and where the in-person vigil was scheduled to take place, has been covered with flowers in memory of the 33-year-old.

Creating a moving and emotional atmosphere, many people are taking to the South London green space to leave tributes to Ms Everard

MP condemns the Metropolitan Police’s decision to ban an in-person vigil tonight on Clapham Common is “unbelievable”.

Munira Wilson, Lib Dem MP for Twickenham has tweeted that the fact “women to take a stand on their personal safety is not allowed” is “unbelievable.

Reclaim the Streets, who are running an alternative vigil this evening, have raised over £200,000 for women’s causes in memory of Sarah Everard.

Originally, the money raised would go towards supporting people pay police fines should the in-person vigil on Clapham Common have gone ahead, as the Metropolitan Police estimated a £10,000 fine each for each woman organising. 

Now, as the force has told the organisation that the event cannot go ahead due to public safety concerns, the money is being distributed to charitable causes supporting women affected by violence.

Plans for an alternative vigil are underway as the Metropolitan Police bar the hosting of an in-person event due to public safety.

Reclaim the Streets, the organisation that was hosting the original gathering, is now hosting a door-step vigil, wherein people across the country are encouraged to stand at their doorstep with a candle at 9:30pm.

Activist Gina Martin – who successfully campaigned to make upskirting illegal in 2018 (resulting in the 2019 Voyeurism Act) – has taken to Twitter to encourage others to attend the Covid-19 safe vigil.