Despite organisers of several Brighton vigils for Sarah Everard cancelling them, a reported 150 people arrived of their own accord in Valley Gardens last night (March 13) to remember the 33-year-old, and plead for safer streets.
Ms Everard, a marketing executive, went missing while walking home across Clapham Common in South London earlier this month and was later found dead in a woodland in Kent.
Wayne Couzens, 48, a Metropolitan Police officer, appeared before Westminster Magistrates' Court on Saturday charged with her kidnap and murder.
At the Brighton vigil which began in the late afternoon, Sussex Police arrested a 20-year-old man on suspicion of failing to comply with a direction to control the coronavirus, and he was taken into custody.
Police also issued eight fixed penalty notices after officers believed attendees had breached the government's coronavirus regulations.
Before people began to make their tributes in Valley Gardens, one of the groups that had originally called for a vigil, then cancelled it (The Anti-Harassment Club) said:
"Any money we could raise for fines would be far better used for under funded services that actually do the work to protect marginalised genders, like Brighton-based Rape Crisis Centre, Survivors’ Network.
"By enforcing the fine, once again women will be victimised financially at a time when we are already bearing the economic brunt of the impact of COVID-19.
"A collective of activists across Brighton have been working tirelessly to try and come to an agreement with the police on how we can go ahead today to remember Sarah.
"We have been told that Sussex Police will be heavily focussing on the enforcement part of their COVID policy and will be present at Valley Gardens at 6pm to shut down any form of peaceful protest or vigil and actively issuing fines.
"It is important that we emphasise that it is Sussex Police, and only Sussex Police, who have stopped us from going forward."
Sussex Police said their officers had:
"...engaged with those present, explaining the government’s coronavirus regulations and encouraging them to move on from the area.
"Where this wasn’t successful, officers moved to necessary and proportionate enforcement action."
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