Around 200 people marked the first anniversary of Sarah Everard’s abduction and murder by assembling at Clapham Common bandstand in south London.
Young men and women laid bouquets where thousands gathered last March following the 33-year-old’s killing at the hands of serving Met police officer Wayne Couzens.
Organisers begun making speeches to “demand change” from the police and urged them to better “hold perpetrators of gendered violence to account”.
Two police officers also laid flowers at the scene.
Earlier 100 people set off from Clapham North station to Clapham Common retracing Ms Everard’s steps on March 3 last year.
A similar rally is also taking place outside Kelvingrove Art Gallery in central Glasgow.
The marketing executive’s family paid tribute on Thursday, saying they “remember her today, as every day, with all our love”.
Flatmates Shae Bampfield, 33, and Claudia Dodd, 26, attended the vigil and reflected on their own experiences in the area.
Ms Bampfield, who is from Australia and lives in Clapham, said: “For me, I’ve had close calls.
“It was over lockdown, I was walking home and this man asked me a question, I engaged with him, which I shouldn’t have and then he started following me.
“I said don’t follow me, and ended up running.
“I made a police report but there were no cameras so it couldn’t go anywhere.
“It just really hits home how unsafe it can be on the streets for women at any time.”
When asked what changes she would like to see being made to women’s safety, she said: “We think misogyny needs to be a hate crime”.
Ms Dodd, from New Zealand, added: “I think as a young woman living in Clapham it’s resonating hugely with us.
“We don’t want to ever forget what happened to Sarah.”
Kayli Free, 30, who laid a candle “for Sarah’s mum” with her husband Dan Free, 32, said: “I think about Sarah a lot which might be weird because we didn’t know each other.
“I can’t imagine how her mum must be feeling, and I wanted to remember her too.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it is “unacceptable” that many women and girls still face violence and perpetrators must be held to account.
Mayor Sadiq Khan said he wanted every woman to feel safe on the capital’s streets.
Couzens was handed a whole-life term for Ms Everard’s kidnap, rape and murder in September.
A non-statutory inquiry has since been launched – led by Dame Elish Angiolini – who is looking at how he was able to work as a police officer for three different forces despite concerns about his behaviour.
Following this, there are plans for a second part that would look at wider issues in policing.
The Met has also commissioned its own review of the culture and standards at the force, including Couzens’ former unit – the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command.
The past year has seen a number of high-profile alleged stranger murders of women, including the deaths of PCSO Julia James and teachers Sabina Nessa and Ashling Murphy.
Another case saw labourer Valentin Lazar, 21, jailed for life for beating 45-year-old Maria Rawlings to death after a chance meeting on a bus.
A statement from the Met released on the anniversary said: “Our thoughts are with Sarah Everard’s family and loved ones. One year on we remain deeply disgusted and shamed that a Met police officer was responsible for Sarah’s appalling murder.”
