Sarah Everard vigil: Met Police appeal against High Court ruling

Patsy Stevenson says the force "still can't hold themselves accountable"

The Met Police will appeal against a High Court ruling that it breached the rights of the organisers of a vigil for Sarah Everard in south London.

The group had to cancel the event after the Met said it would be illegal to stage it under lockdown restrictions.

However, hundreds of people attended an unofficial gathering to pay their respects to Ms Everard who was murdered by serving Met officer Wayne Couzens.

Police and some protesters clashed at the Clapham Common vigil last March.

Activist and co-founder of Reclaim These Streets (RTS) Jamie Klingler urged the Metropolitan Police to "learn the law".

Responding to news of the appeal, Ms Klingler wrote in a tweet: "I'm not going to pretend I am not furious. They want us to give up. They want to exhaust us."

At a two-day hearing at the High Court in January, Ms Klingler and three others argued that decisions made by the force in advance of the planned vigil amounted to a breach of their right to freedom of speech and assembly.

Anna Birley, Jessica Leigh, Henna Shah and Jamie Klingler brought the case against the Met Police

The judgment was described by their solicitor as "a victory for women".

RTS had planned the socially-distanced vigil for the 33-year-old, near to where she went missing in Clapham.

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Almost a year to the day on from the 13 March 2021 vigil, two senior judges released their findings that the Met's actions were "not in accordance with the law".

The women cancelled the vigil after being told by the force they would face fines of £10,000 each and possible prosecution if it went ahead, the court heard.

The spontaneous vigil that took place instead led to the force being heavily criticised for its actions - although it went on to be cleared by the police watchdog.

Couzens, 49, was given a whole life sentence at the Old Bailey in September after admitting murder.

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