A woman who was pictured in a viral image of her being shoved to the ground by police during a vigil for Sarah Everard has opened up about the terror she felt as officers pushed her down.
Patsy Stevenson told how she had “never been so scared” when she was arrested and issued a £200 fine by police but said she only attended the vigil to lay a candle.
Speaking on Good Morning Britain the university student recalled being “forcefully” held down on the ground and explained that she “still didn’t know” why it had happened.
Our sister title The Mirror report s how to she accused police of "saying quite a few things that made people angry".
Patsy said she was asked to join women on the bandstand at Clapham Common as police had been "aggressively talking to women".
Speaking to hosts Susanna Reid and Ben Shephard outside the studio, Patsy said: "To be honest, I still don't know why I was pushed to the ground so forcefully."
Pointing out that she is "small" and that she had been pushed down by two large "burly" policemen, she said: "I was only there to lay a candle down, I didn't expect that to happen. When I first heard about what was first going on I wanted to go down."
Explaining how the evening evolved, she reiterated that the vigil had been peaceful and that there had been two women projecting their voices when the police came in.
Explaining how the evening evolved, she reiterated that the vigil had been peaceful and that there had been two women projecting their voices when the police came in.
"Something happened after nightfall," Susanna pointed out. "You were there on the bandstand."
"The reason we were on there was because police seemed to be aggressively talking to women on the bandstand," she said. "A few of the women said can you come here to help."
Patsy said that they had joined the women but accused the police of "saying quite a few things that were making people angry".
"I didn't expect for it to happen so quickly," she said of the moment she was pinned to the ground. "At that moment, there is a police officer trying to pull my arm... I didn't want to retaliate, I didn't want to react.
"I was terrified, I've never been so scared... when I looked up, there were cameras everywhere."
"I am fully aware that the police have to do their jobs," she said, but insisted: "We did intend for a safe vigil."
This comes as Met Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick refuses to resign over claims police "manhandled" women at the vigil in Clapham Common.
The police boss said "unlawful gatherings are unlawful gatherings" in response to criticism of her officers.
Asked if she had a message for Commissioner Dame Cressida Rose Dick, Patsy said: "As someone who does stand up for women's rights, I think we need to get the message away from the police... we need to open a dialogue for change."
She denied social media claims that she was an actress, pointing out that it was an "old profile".
"I study at university," she said. "I'm an ambassador for women in STEM."
Patsy also addressed Sarah's family and said: "I cannot understand what they're going through. What we wanted to do was show our support."
