The voices of a city that would not be silenced
Thousands gather to show their support and solidarity at Ariana Grande’s One Love show Minute’s silence Memorial for London attack victims
“GOD is good in the midst of evil,” cried Justin Bieber, with tears in his eyes. “God is good in the midst of darkness. He loves you.”
The audience cheered in approval, but it was at the back of Manchester’s Old Trafford Cricket Ground that Bieber’s words were put into action.
A policeman, on duty to ensure that the thousands at the One Love Manchester concert stayed safe, saw a group of young girls singing Ring
Around the Rosie. Without hesitation, he took their hands and joined in. The result – a heartwarming video of the girls laughing as they dance in circles with the policeman – has gone viral.
This was just one moment during Sunday’s concert where thousands came together to stand up to hate. More than 50,000 people across the country – from mothers holding their children’s hands to groups of teenage girls in the bunny ears so favoured by Ariana Grande – came to support those who lost their lives and loved ones during the Manchester terror attack two weeks ago.
They stood together to embody the vow Grande made after 22 people lost their lives, to “not let hate win”. It was a vow that was made even more poignant by the fact that hate delivered its next blow faster than anyone could have predicted, with more people killed in a brutal attack in London on Saturday night. The two acts of terror, and the innocent lives taken, were on everyone’s minds. Yet the atmosphere in Manchester was nothing but defiant.
“We will not be silenced,” cried Katy Perry, before launching into her hit song Roar, with the lyrics: “You held me down, but I got up... I am the champion, and you’re going to hear me roar.” On cue, every generation in the audience joined in to roar.
“We want to show we’re not scared,” said Vicky Diamond, a 52-year-old retired nurse from Manchester, wearing an “I love Manchester” T-shirt. “We’re here to remember, and to support everyone that came together after the attack. What happened in London has just made us more determined.”
Her friend, 52-year-old Julie Davidson, added: “People across the country cared about us, so we want to give that back now. We’re here not just for Manchester, but for London too.”
Thousands of supporters, wellwishers and pop fans stood together in the bright June sun, many of whom had witnessed firsthand the death and destruction at Grande’s original concert. Yet her teenage fans, in their glitter, sequins and bunny ears, refused to let the horror of recent weeks stop them from supporting their fellow “Arianators”.
“I wanted to come back and show I wasn’t too terrified to come,” said Jessica, a teenage survivor. “I wanted to be here, with everyone all together, and to show that I give my support. It’s important to do that.” Elicia Jackson, a 14-year-old schoolgirl who had trauma counselling after the attack, summed up the sentiment of the crowd when she added: “Nothing will break us. We’re here as pop lovers. We’re united; we’re strong.”
The concert kicked off with Marcus Mumford, who told the crowd: “Let’s not be afraid. You are not alone in this.” He was followed by the all-star line up of Manchester’s own Take That, Coldplay, Black Eyed Peas, Robbie Williams, and Pharrell Williams, who was joined by Miley Cyrus to sing his hit
Happy, and told the cheering crowd: “I don’t see, smell or hear any fear this evening. All I see is love and positivity.”
Finally, Grande came on in a ‘One Love Manchester’ jumper, singing: “We’re all going to be alright.” As every single Arianator in the audience shouted the words alongside her, in full support, tears fell down the 23-year-old singer’s face.
“Thank you so much for coming together and being so strong,” she said, pausing to gather her emotions, before explaining how she had gone to visit the family of 15-year-old Olivia Campbell, who died at her concert, and how they inspired her to change her set because “Olivia would want to hear the hits”.
And so it was for Olivia, and the other victims, that Grande burst into her unashamedly sexual track, Side to Side.
The audience – and several members of security staff in neon jackets – danced together in a joyous symbol of defiance. As they danced, Grande’s mother Joan walked through the audience, telling fans: “Do not be afraid. Stay strong.”
In a particularly poignant moment, 24 pupils from a local school joined Grande on stage to sing her ballad My
Everything. The schoolgirls’ version of the song was recorded last week to raise funds for the victims, and as their performance came to an end, Grande and talented 12-year-old soloist Natasha-rose Seth shared a hug.
Emotions ran high through the night, but in true British spirit, the audience did not stop smiling. They waved their banners in remembrance of those who died in Manchester and London, and wore wristbands saying “We Stand Together”. When Liam Gallagher unexpectedly appeared, dedicating his songs to the victims and waving his maracas, the audience laughed with tears in their eyes. “Only in bloody Manchester,” said Alison Davies, a 37-year-old who had her arm in a sling, and bruises down her legs, from when she’d been caught up in the attack at Grande’s last concert, with her 13-year-old stepdaughter, Isla.
“I debated whether to come today,” she admitted. “I was really scared and almost wasn’t going to. But after what happened in London, I knew I had to. The terrorists want us to be scared – I think they deliberately attacked London the night before this – but we have
‘I wanted to come back and show I wasn’t too terrified to come. I wanted to be here with everyone all together’
The UK will observe a minute’s silence tomorrow and flags will remain at half-mast on Whitehall government buildings, Downing Street has announced.
The silence will be at 11am in remembrance of those killed and hurt by the attacks in London on Saturday evening.
Flags across the country have already been flying at half mast after seven people were killed in a van and knife rampage by three terrorists on London Bridge and nearby Borough Market in Southwark.
The attack comes only two months after Khalid Masood mowed down crowds on Westminster Bridge, killing five people, and less than two weeks after Salman Abedi killed 22 in a suicide bombing at a pop concert in Manchester. to carry on. We can’t let them get to us.”
Isla, and her 12-year-old friend, India, joined in. “We wanted to support everyone, and we wanted to see Ariana,” they grinned. “We’re not afraid.”
Manchester’s resilience soared as Chris Martin took to the stage and sang what has come to be the city’s anthem during these last two weeks: the Oasis classic Don’t Look Back In Anger. Yet it was when Coldplay moved on to their upbeat dance track Something Like
This, with confetti exploding into the crowd, that the night’s message was made clear: no matter what, Britain would keep dancing.