The Know Daily - Thursday 14 September 2023

_{Thursday 14 September ∙ Read in 5m 24s ∙ Listening to Surfaces}

“Dogtember” has officially begun at Saltdean Lido in Brighton, as the outdoor pool is hosting a series of swim sessions for dogs (and people) over four weekends. Last Saturday’s “Gold Rush” session saw 150 golden retrievers take to the water - and if that wasn’t joyous enough, the initiative is also helping to fundraise for the 1930s Art Deco venue. We love!

🚨 Met police payout

The Metropolitan Police has apologised and paid “substantial” damages to two women who were arrested during the vigil for Sarah Everard in March 2021.

Remind me what happened at the time?
Patsy Stevenson and Dania Al-Obeid were two of hundreds of people who attended a candlelit vigil at Clapham Common for Sarah Everard, who was murdered by a serving Met police officer in March 2021.

The pre-planned vigil had been cancelled after the Met said it would be illegal under Covid restrictions in place at the time. But people still turned up during the day, including the then Duchess of Cambridge. That evening, there were “clashes” between police and some of those in attendance, said the BBC, with images of women handcuffed on the ground “sparking anger”.

Stevenson and Al-Obeid, along with four others, were arrested at the vigil for breaking Covid-19 lockdown rules, but their prosecution was later dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The pair then launched legal claims against the Met under the Human Rights Act.

Got it. So what has the Met said now?
The force has apologised to Stevenson and Al-Obeid - a move which The Guardian has described as a “major climbdown” following years of legal wrangling over how the vigil was policed.

In letters to the two women, Met Commander Karen Findlay said it was “understandable” that they had wanted to attend the vigil to express “grief and anger” over Sarah Everard’s death and because they felt women had been “badly let down by the Met”.

How have the women responded?
Stevenson and Al-Obeid told The Guardian that they welcomed the apology but will continue to fight for better policing of violence against women and girls. “I will continue speaking out about the abuse that goes on in police forces,” said Al-Obeid.

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