Thread by @sophielevin11

Given misinformation is already speeding about what happened on Clapham Common last night, here's what I saw

5.30pm: Women with flowers. Women with tears in their eyes, wanting to light candles and for a space to stand in our masks and cry

6.20pm: The police start moving in

6.30pm: Police become a more visible presence in the crowd, and start removing those speaking about Sarah from the bandstand.

6.45pm: The crowd starts more "shame on you" type of stuff at the police, but still unbelievably tame. I've been in Family Stands more intimidating.

6.50pm: We could see the police visibly organising to "move in". This is the time they've decided the women with flowers have to stop. At this point, they've wrecking balled through the peaceful vigil we're all here for - now all we're doing is trying to defend ourselves.

7.00pm: The police form a chain, pushing what was, prior to that, a fairly socially distant crowd in towards each other (because, COVID). You've seen the pictures of what happens next.

The police start pulling people off the bandstand, hauling women to the ground. It's not an isolated incident - from my perspective, they're acting on orders to physically remove anyone trying to speak from the platform.

Away from the bandstand, there women lighting candles and placing flowers around trees. This was all we wanted, a space to mourn. In the background, the vigil has become an open tussle with police.

This was the enduring image for me - away from the police, women doing what they came to do, to pay their respects.

I'm not saying there wasn't anger, or there weren't chants - more so as police presence increased. But to claim the force was proportionate is a farce. It wasn't.