Pictures show hundreds of people on Clapham Common this evening as they paid tribute to Sarah Everard, despite the official vigil being cancelled. 

Demonstrators said raising the issue of violence against women is “way more important” than coronavirus restrictions.

An official event by Reclaim These Streets was cancelled on Saturday morning and an alternative vigil held online.

But crowds of people made their way to Clapham Common’s bandstand at around 6pm on Saturday, with many laying flowers in what has become a growing floral tribute.

MORE: virtual gathering to replace Clapham vigil

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While the vigil in Clapham, south London, was largely peaceful, scuffles broke out at the front of a crowd of hundreds as police surrounded a bandstand covered in floral tributes to the 33-year-old.

At one stage, male officers could be seen grabbing hold of several women before leading them away in handcuffs, to shouts and screams from onlookers.

A nurse who works in the Clapham area said she felt “conflicted” about attending the gathering because of pandemic restrictions, but decided she had to go.

Mel Clarke said: “I felt very conflicted (about coming) but I just felt that I needed to be here.”

The 33-year-old added: “I’m really pleased that there are a lot of men here. I hope that this is kind of an opportunity for men to learn how women feel, how vulnerable we are.

“I hope that this is the start of justice being served for Sarah.”

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Two friends who live locally said they attended to “show our respects”.

Megan Taylor, 23, said: “It’s a good sense of community, when it’s so scary in these times, seeing people come together like this.”

She said it was “quite nice to see so many“ men in attendance “who want to pay their respects as well”.

Eve James and her boyfriend Joe Webster, both aged 26, also attended.

Ms James said: “I was on the fence about whether to come or not because I have been following the rules as closely as possible but all week I have not been able to stop thinking about Sarah.

“I used to live in Clapham, I only moved to Fulham about a year ago and I just felt so strongly that it could have been any of us.”

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Mr Webster said: “With Covid guidelines or whatever, it doesn’t matter. This is way more important than that.”

Asked if he felt it was important men attended the event, he said: “Of course.

“Men need to learn themselves how to make things better for women so if this is part of the process then yeah, let’s make it happen.”

As emotions ran high at the gathering, police said it had become “unsafe” and urged people to go home.

The Metropolitan Police was criticised for its policing of the gathering, with one MP describing it as “heartbreaking and maddening to watch”.

Labour’s Sarah Owen added: “No one can see these scenes and think that this has been handled anything but badly by @metpoliceuk. It could and should have been so different.”

Charlotte Nichols, shadow minister for women and equalities, tweeted: “If @metpoliceuk had put the resources into assisting @ReclaimTS to hold the covid-secure vigil originally planned that they put into stopping any collective show of grief and solidarity (both through the courts and a heavy-handed physical response), we’d all be in a better place.”

Home Secretary Priti Patel says she has asked for a “full report” from the Metropolitan Police.