A brotherhood of bloodshed
World leaders express solidarity with London
World reaction to the terrorist attack in London has ranged from conventional condolences to imaginative expressions of sympathy and solidarity. As Wednesday, the day of the attack, turned into Thursday at midnight, the lights of the Eiffel Tower in Paris went dark in tribute to the lives lost outside the British parliament. The UAE strongly condemned the attack. “The UAE stands in solidarity with the government and people of the friendly United Kingdom in confronting terrorism,” said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. “It also rejects and denounces any criminal acts, regardless of any justifications.
In Berlin, the Union flag was projected on to the Brandenburg Gate, a powerful symbol of unity for that once- divided city and country. Three months ago, Berlin suffered a similar attack when a terrorist drove a lorry into a crowded Christmas market, killing 12 people. Now London and Berlin, along with Paris and Brussels are bound together in a brotherhood of bloodshed. US president Donald Trump was among the first world leaders to contact British prime minister Theresa May. Afterwards, he tweeted that Mrs May was “strong and doing very well”.
His predecessor, Barack Obama, tweeted: “No act of terror can shake the strength and resilience of our British ally”.
French president Francois Hollande evoked his country’s tragedy in his message. “France, which has been struck so hard lately, knows what the British people are suffering today.”
Three French schoolchildren from Brittany were among those injured on Westminster Bridge. They were visited in hospital by French foreign minister JeanMarc Ayrault. He then attended a session of parliament to hear Mrs May’s speech. “I wanted to stop off here to show solidarity with the British people,” he said.
Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull said his country “stands in resolute solidarity with the people of Britain in the war against terrorism”.