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Several detained at vigil for woman murdered in London

The disappearance of 33-year-old Sarah Everard as she walked home on the evening of March 3 has triggered a wave of accounts from women about the dangers they have felt and experienced when walking streets alone at night, accompanied by calls for action.

As night fell on Saturday, around a thousand people - mostly women - gathered at the site in Clapham, south London, to pay their respects and protest at the lack of security they felt when out alone, with some chanting "shame on you" at police as they made arrests.

As tensions mounted, Reuters witnesses saw police drag several women away from the gathering on Clapham Common.

Campaign groups had wanted to organize a formal vigil to commemorate Everard to take place on Saturday evening near where she disappeared.

However, organizers canceled the vigil on Saturday morning after police warned them that they could risk arrest for breaching COVID restrictions on outdoor social gatherings.

Police discovered Everard's body on Wednesday (March 10) in woodland about 50 miles (80 km) southeast of London. The court heard that her body was found in a builder's refuse bag, and was identified using dental records.

Police officer Wayne Couzens, 48, appeared in court on Saturday after being charged with Everard's kidnap and murder.

Couzens's lawyer did not enter a plea to the charges of kidnap and murder ahead of a fuller court hearing scheduled for Tuesday. Couzens remains in custody.