Fury as woman’s jeans pulled down exposing her underwear during ‘Kill the Bill’ protest arrest
A WOMAN’S jeans were pulled down exposing her underwear during an arrest at a Kill the Bill protest. Images showing officers dragging the half-naked woman off the ground have sparked outrage on social media. Greater Manchester Police launched an “urgent review” into the incident, which took place in the city centre on Saturday. After saying […]
A WOMAN’S jeans were pulled down exposing her underwear during an arrest at a Kill the Bill protest.
Images showing officers dragging the half-naked woman off the ground have sparked outrage on social media.
Greater Manchester Police launched an “urgent review” into the incident, which took place in the city centre on Saturday.
After saying the pictures make for “uncomfortable viewing” and vowing to “establish circumstances”, an initial review found the incident was “not deliberate” but “regrettable”.
In a statement, the force added that a senior officer has apologised to the woman for “any distress caused”.
She was one of 18 people arrested after hundreds of campaigners gathered to protest against a new government policing bill.
Last night, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham demanded a “full explanation” from officers after somebody tagged him in a photo of the woman on Twitter.
The post, by a man named Mike, read: “I do hope you’ll be doing something about this Andy.”
Mr Burnham replied: “I am Mike. I have started by asking Greater Manchester Police to provide a full explanation of what happened.”
Hundreds of people have shared their dismay at the photos, describing them as “appalling” and “horrifying”.
One woman said: “This is completely degrading for this person….. Completely unacceptable…. Why couldn’t they let her fix her clothing….. This makes me feel sick and unsafe.”
A GMP spokesperson said: “We are aware of the videos and images of a woman partially exposed when being arrested following Saturday’s protest in the city centre, which make for uncomfortable viewing.
“An urgent review is underway to establish circumstances and an update will follow in due course.”
It follows a review released today which found police acted “sensitively and proportionately” at a vigil for Sarah Everard, who was abducted as she walked home in south London earlier this month.
Serving police officer Wayne Couzens has been charged with her kidnap and murder.
Mourners who attended the event in Clapham, south London, on March 13 were bundled to the ground by police and arrested.
The organisers of the vigil have accused the Met Police of “institutional sexism” after the review found officers who stormed mourners weren’t “heavy-handed”.
The report, by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS), viewed that the Covid risks posed by the event were “too great to ignore”.
Today’s findings have been met with dismay by many, with Reclaim These Streets, the original organisers of the vigil, attacking the “disappointing” review.
A spokesman for the group said: “The HMIC had a responsibility to begin rebuilding the trust between women and girls across the capital and the Metropolitan Police.
“The disregard for us as women organisers in the report is clear there is still institutional sexism running through the force.”
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The Clapham vigil, and others around the country, were designed to show that women should feel safe no matter the time of day.
But Patsy Stevenson, who was pictured being pinned to the floor by an officer, said after the event: “I’ve never been so scared.
“As I was up against bandstand, I could see women standing next to me – police were trying to get around her neck, and someone else was being pulled back. We were terrified.”