15/03/2021
The murder of Sarah Everard is an incredibly sad and devastating event. There is no doubt about that, nor that something needs to be done to protect women from verbal and physical attacks.
Women should not need to fear attack whenever they are walking alone.
Last night, my daughter drove me to pick up my girlfriend after she finished work. I would normally drive myself, but was feeling a bit under the weather due to short term reaction to the COVID vaccine I had at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday. Whilst we sat in the car waiting, my daughter commented on a lone female and how, having seen a man (me) in the passenger seat of a parked car, she had made a fake phone call.
There is obviously some assumption here. An assumption that she had seen me and an assumption that this had led her to make a fake phone call, rather than had simply made or received a real phone call. But, I think that she was probably right.
As a man, a very large man (183cm and 139kg), I can see that I might be seen as a threat. It saddens me hugely. I am not a threat. I have never attacked a woman; verbally, physically or sexually, and nor would I. I haven't thrown a punch at anyone since the age of 13, when I was forced to partake in organised bare-knuckle boxing matches against other pupils at boarding school.
I believe that most men do not pose a threat to women, but that doesn't mean that women can feel safe when walking alone.
It is important that society does act to protect women and children from violence. We need to address the threat posed by men who use their positions of power; whether this is physical or psychological, against women and children.
However, the 'vigil' on Saturday night was illegal and should not have gone ahead. The organisers sought permission to hold the vigil, which was refused because it breached the current lockdown restrictions. This was taken to court and the outcome was that it should remain a decision for the police, who are forced to take into account the COVID regulations.
The organisers of the event did issue a cancellation and asked people to shine a light from their doorstep at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday evening instead. This is something that I then took part in; using my phone as a torch as I don't have any candles.
Those that still went to Clapham Common earlier Saturday evening did so, fully aware that they were breaking the law. They knew that there would be a police presence and knew that their attendance could lead to them being arrested.
The reasons for attending the 'vigil' seem, for some, nothing to do with Sarah Everard.
"Well, first of all, I came here to support any woman, whether it be a cis-woman or trans-woman, every single woman, who cannot walk down the street by themselves because of the fear of men. And it's not all men, we know that, that's not what we're saying, but you know, there does need to be a change where women have freedom to live their lives in peace without fear. The fact that the police turned up was just disgraceful, because before then it was just a peaceful protest."
The above words are a direct quote from Patsy Stevenson, who was famously photographed being arrested at the event. Her arrest was flagged as evidence of the police acting inappropriately.
Her words made no reference to Sarah Everard. She went on to gleefully suggest a further protest. Again, not a 'vigil'. She again said 'protest'. This shows that the lie that these women were attending a vigil. They were attending a protest.
The right to peaceful protest is an important one, but one that has been limited somewhat during the pandemic.
There were loads of people commenting about this on social media yesterday. Some launched attacks at any men criticising the gathering, suggesting that this was men trying to stifle women. I have criticised gatherings frequently during the course of this pandemic; mostly predominantly attended by men. This has nothing to do with restricting women.
They also have claimed that no-one was arrested at other gatherings, some citing the Glasgow Rangers celebrations as an example. However, 28 people were arrested at that event in Glasgow; seven times more than were arrested at Clapham Common on Saturday night.
So, these claims are lies meant to try and create a sense of this being an anti-women approach by the police.
Some claimed that police officers should not have been 'manhandling' women who had turned up to mark the death of a woman who was murdered by a police officer. Their suggestion is almost that every police officer is in some way guilty by association. This is an appalling attitude to take.
The police are not responsible for Sarah's murder. Wayne Couzens is responsible. The fact that he was a PC in the Met does not make the police responsible. People do not put the blame of murders undertaken by men of other professions on their industry or employer, and this should be no different.
Sarah Everard was not murdered by 'the police', she was murdered by a man.
There will be time, if the organisers still wish to do so, to organise a mass vigil for Sarah Everard. This could be done once the COVID restrictions have been lifted entirely. At the moment, that would be on or after 21st June.
This could be a vigil just at Clapham Common, or, more likely, a multi-venue event with people gathering in towns and cities across the country. It might be 'just' to pay homage to the memory of Sarah Everard, or to mark the losses of all women murdered by men, as well as to give a voice to all women who feel threatened when going about their normal daily activities.
It might be a full on mass protest.
The time for such large gatherings is once we have the pandemic fully under control. When we have the herd immunity afforded by vaccinating 90% or more of the adult population.
Right now, doorstep vigils, lighting candles and shining torches, are a way of showing respect and honouring the memory of Sarah and the countless other victims of violent crime at the hands of men.
Right now, women - and men - can apply pressure to their MPs to bring about changes in the law to better women.
Right now, mums and dads can work to educate their sons about the need to respect everyone, but especially those who are more vulnerable, especially women.
Right now, men and women can challenge friends who do or say things that raise concern about men who may pose a risk to women.
All of this can be achieved now, during the pandemic. All of this can be done without breaking any laws, without endangering anyone and without putting any increased burden on emergency services during the most challenging 'peace-time' period in living history.
I want to clarify my view on Saturday night's 'vigil'. I keep putting it into inverted commas, because Saturday night was not a vigil. They keep calling it that on the TV news. But what happened was not a vigil. Patsy Stephenson attended a protest. She said so in her interview on camera.
So, what is a vigil?
Vigil: A stationary, peaceful demonstration in support of a particular cause, typically without speeches.
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