Police officers form a cordon as well-wishers turn on their phone torches as they gather at a bandstand where a planned vigil in honor of murder victim Sarah Everard was canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions in London on Saturday. Photo: AFP

Police in London drew widespread criticism on Saturday after handcuffing mourners at a vigil for a woman who was murdered after setting out to walk home, in a case that has sparked a national debate about violence against women.

Officers scuffled with some members of the hundreds-strong crowd that gathered despite coronavirus restrictions for a candlelit tribute close to the spot where 33-year-old marketing executive Sarah Everard disappeared on March 3.

Reclaim These Streets - who initially organized the event in south London's Clapham - condemned the actions of officers "physically manhandling women at a vigil against male violence."

Social media footage showed police restraining and handcuffing some mourners, leading to an outpouring of criticism from across the political spectrum.

Both Home Secretary Priti Patel and London Mayor Sadiq Khan said they had asked for explanations from the Metropolitan police over how the vigil was handled.

The murder of Everard, who vanished after setting out to walk home from a friend's flat, has shocked the country and brought discussion around women's safety to the fore once again.

AFP