Manchester defiant at vigil for attack victims

People of all backgrounds vow to stand united

Manchester: Chants of “Manchester! Manchester!” rang out as thousands gathered for a multifaith vigil in the city centre to remember the victims of the deadly suicide attack claimed by the Islamic State group.

Striking a note of defiance, people massed outside the northwestern English city’s Victorian town hall on Tuesday to pray for the 22 killed and dozens injured in the bombing at a pop concert on Monday.

The vigil was attended by Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Sikh leaders, and drew on the strength of a city that is synonymous with the Industrial Revolution, music and football.

British and English flags flew at half-mast above the town hall, a grand neo-Gothic building in the heart of central Manchester.

The sun-drenched Albert Square filled early, with people climbing atop the steps of statues.

Senior figures filled the stage, among them John Bercow, the speaker of parliament’s lower House of Commons; interior minister Amber Rudd; and opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

The crowd listened silently to the speeches, though there were huge cheers when speakers praised the emergency services, and urged people to defy terrorism by standing together.

“Today is a day that we all hoped and prayed we would not ever see,” Manchester police chief Ian Hopkins told the crowd.

“I cannot begin to imagine how anyone could carry out such an unthinkable act.

“We must all stand together and not let the terrorists defeat us.

“We must all live in harmony and stand together to defeat terrorism.”

Poet Tony Walsh recalled the city’s history in a poem entitled This Is The Place, which drew huge cheers as he recounted the gritty attitude that made the city a heartland of industrial and cultural creativity.

In a poignant moment he referred to the “Mancunian way to survive” and “northern grit”, and said: “In the face of a challenge we always stand tall.”

After a minute’s silence to remember the victims, chants of “Manchester! Manchester!” rolled around the crowd in a city wedded to its world-famous football teams, Manchester United and Manchester City.

A mother and daughter standing outside the town hall both held up a “I love Manchester” sign.

“Manchester’s been torn apart again but then, it just shows today we’re going to come back together again,” she said.

Queen Elizabeth II also condemned the Manchester attack as an “act of barbarity” and observed a minute’s silence at a Buckingham Palace garden reception.