UNITED AGAINST TERROR
PEOPLE from all walks of life defiantly continued with their normal lives yesterday. They stuck two fingers up to terrorist Khalid Masood, 52, who failed miserably to break the spirit of Brits. And they told the Daily Star’s OLIVER PRITCHARD the attack wi
FARHAD Hazarbuz, 20, said: “Everyone knows the attack has nothing to do with religion. It’s just to do with stupid people who have no idea.
“My religion is peaceful. He is a madman who wants to do stupid things. It is not in the name of Islam. I don’t feel that after the attack people in London have blamed Muslims.
“The city is such a melting pot of religions and cultures that people understand that my religion has nothing to do with this attack.”
Saidur Rahman, 27, added: “I feel so sorry for everyone affected in the attack. It hasn’t got anything to do with my religion and I think that people understand that.
“London has so many cultures that everyone here understands this was one crazy man that should be locked up.”
David Byrne, 50, runs Blues & Royals smoothies next to Embankment Station, a few hundred metres from the attack. He opened as usual yesterday and said: “We have got to carry on. It is one individual, a one-off case. Everyone in the offices is carrying on and we should do the same.
“We are not going to be intimidated. If everything shut down he (the terrorist) would have won. Working in central London you have got to get on with it. People expect us to be open and we will be.”
Sara Pearson, 41, who works in PR, said: “As the Prime Minister said, we won’t be defeated by terrorism. I would walk over Westminster Bridge now if it was open.
“I’ve lived and worked in London all my life. I remember previous attacks, it didn’t change me then and it won’t change me now.”
Black cab driver Mick Hills, 65, said: “As far as being intimidated I am not at all. I have got no respect for them (the terrorists). There were 15 French schoolkids on that bridge, three of them are in hospital now because of him. A bloke that does that kind of thing to kids is a coward. It is ridiculous but it won’t stop me getting on with my life.”
Alex McGrotty, 32, is a street performer who plays the bagpipes on Westminster Bridge. As it was closed yesterday, he went to busk in Trafalgar Square.
He said: “Where I normally stand is where the crash happened. It was just pure chance that I was at home waiting for a delivery.
“I’ve come out today because if I had stayed home that is what they (the terrorists) would want. By coming out we are defeating them. We won’t let terror win.”
Savannah Clawson, 21, is a physics student at the University of Manchester and travelled down to London yesterday for an awards ceremony.
She said: “You can’t really be intimidated by terrorists because that is letting them win. If people do not go about their daily business then it kind of means the terrorists have succeeded. We can’t let that happen.”
Dave Glanfield, 52, operations manager at Ocean Leisure, a marine and water sports shop by Embankment station, said: “We didn’t even discuss closing. We are satisfied with the security services. They are really good in this area and keep us informed.
“You can see where the attack happened from the shop.
“We had a girl come in who was waiting for a bus when she saw it happen. We called the emergency services who were fantastic.”