‘Londoners will never be cowed by terrorism’
Office workers, imams and students filled Trafalgar Square last night to remember those who lost their lives in Wednesday’s attack. Flanked by a sea of police officers, the mood was solemn but defiant. Candles flickered on downturned faces as people paid tribute to those who had been killed and injured. The words “solidarity” and “unity” could be heard being exchanged in conversation after conversation.
Apart from intermittent bursts of applause, the crowd remained quiet as Met Police Acting Commissioner Craig Mackey, Home Secretary Amber Rudd and the London Mayor Sadiq Khan addressed the events which brought Westminster and the heart of the capital to a standstill.
Mr Mackey started off the solemn proceedings. He spoke of the innocent people who were killed during the “truly terrible” incident, that many more were gravely injured and that “all of us have been deeply
affected by what has happened”. He said: “This cannot be undone, much as we would wish it. However, we do get to choose our reaction and gathering here tonight shows exactly how we must move forward. We must stand together. People have tried to tear this city apart with acts of terror many times before. They have never succeeded and they never will.” Mr Khan said “Londoners will never be cowed by terrorism”, prompting cheers, as his voice rung with determination. “The victims were people who came from all corners of our world. This is a time to express our gratitude to the heroism of our police officers and emergency services, who ran towards danger to help, and at the same time they encouraged others to run for safety,” he said. “Our response to this attack on our city, on our way of life, our shared values, shows the world what it means to be a Londoner.” After a minute of silence, a mixed crowd of all ages and races wiped their eyes and shuffled forward to light candles as dusk turned to night. “Love for all, hatred for none,” read one sign.
Joel, 50, who is from Ireland but has lived in London for 29 years, told The Independent he was still struggling to come to terms with what had happened. “It’s a bit shocking, a bit sudden, and random and like many others here, I’m trying to make sense of what happened and file it in my mind somewhere,” he said. “You don’t know if you are doing the right thing going into a public space where something else might happen but I did not want terrorism to win. Terrorism is about curtailing people’s freedom and if I were not to have come, it would have won.”
People in office clothes, who had clearly come straight from work, stood shoulder to shoulder with tourists. A couple of Charlton Athletic fans proudly bared their red and white scarves in order to show solidarity with Keith Palmer, the policeman who was fatally stabbed during the attack. PC Palmer was a devoted fan of the south-London League One club. As such, the team have paid tribute to him, with a scarf being laid
on the seat he frequently filled at their stadium. Home Secretary Amber Rudd paid tribute to the police officer, saying: “He was courageous, he was brave, and he was doing his duty. And he was not alone in doing that. I know that all officers of the Met are like that and in my experience, so are all policemen.” She added: “I want us to say thank you to them all for the great sacrifice and risks they take to keep us safe.”
Miles and Ollie, both 20-year-old students at Kings College London, said attending the vigil had helped them deal with the atrocity. “It just feels right to come down and be among other people. That’s the great thing about London, it’s going to keep moving no matter what, we can’t let something like this stop us from going about our daily lives.”
Zishan Ahmed, 25, an imam based in a mosque in Morden, south-west London, also expressed defiance. “We’ve come here to show that we as Muslims stand behind everyone else and that we condemn any terrorism or act of extremism,” he said. “The act which was done yesterday does not portray the true message of Islam – the Quran says if you kill one person it is the equivalent to killing mankind. What happened yesterday is not an Islamic terrorist attack, it is a terror attack – that should be made very clear. Any terrorist attacks should not be associated with any religion.”
Police also reportedly performed a controlled explosion near Westminster last night, less than a mile away from the scene of the terrorist attack on Wednesday. The Metropolitan Police said officers found an unattended bag in Birdcage Walk, which runs between Westminster and Buckingham Palace. A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “Police are dealing with a suspect package in the area of Birdcage Walk. Officers remain at the scene.” The spokesman did not confirm whether a controlled explosion had
been carried out. The Met said on Twitter: “Unattended bag found Birdcage Walk/Horseguards was not suspicious. All cordons put in for safety being lifted. Thanks for your patience.”
The reported explosion came during a BBC News live broadcast. Senior producer Pia Talbot tweeted: “Police say they’ve just carried out a controlled explosion within earshot of our live spot.” Sky News reporter Laura Bundock tweeted there was a “very loud bang close to the security cordon where a suspicious package was found”.