Updated 12 April: A Metropolitan police appeal against a ruling that said the force breached the rights of the organisers of a vigil for Sarah Everard has been rejected by the High Court.

Reclaim These Streets’ co-founders – Jessica Leigh, Anna Birley, Henna Shah and Jamie Klingler – were threatened with arrest and a £10,000 fine when they tried to organise a socially distanced event on Clapham Common in March 2021. A spontaneous vigil and protest took place instead, where multiple women were arrested.

Last month, a High Court judge ruled that the Met’s decision making ahead of the vigil was “misinformed”, “misleading” and “flawed at every single step of the process”.

The Met then went on to launch an appeal against the ruling – a move which has now been rejected by two High Court judges on the basis that there is “no need for any further or more authoritative guidance” for the lawful policing of such protests.

Reclaim These Streets: the Met’s appeal against the Sarah Everard vigil ruling has been described as “hopeless”