The Metropolitan police have defended their policing of the London vigil in memory of Sarah Everard, after widespread criticism of the force’s handling of the gathering.

Priti Patel, the home secretary, and Sadiq Khan, the London mayor, both said they had demanded an explanation from the Met, amid accusations that officers had grabbed women during clashes with the crowd and mismanaged the largely peaceful vigil in Clapham, south London.

Figures from across the political divide united in criticism, with Tory MPs among those who condemned the Met’s approach as “appalling”. Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader, called on Dick to resign. “This was a complete, abject, tactical and moral failure on the part of the police,” he said in a letter to the commissioner. “We therefore call on you to consider your leadership of the service.”

Patel said that some of the footage circulating online from the vigil was “upsetting”, adding she had asked the Met for “a full report on what happened”. Khan said he was “urgently seeking an explanation”.

In the early hours of Sunday, the Met’s Assistant Commissioner Helen Ball said police were put into a position “where enforcement action was necessary”, because of “the overriding need to protect people’s safety.”