Hush falls over city six years after Arena blast
A MINUTE’S silence brought Manchester to a standstill yesterday to mark the sixth anniversary of the Arena terror attack that claimed and devastated innocent lives.
At 10.31pm on May 22, 2017 Isis extremist Salman Abedi, 22, detonated a suicide bomb in his backpack that killed 22 people and injured hundreds more at an Ariana Grande concert. The youngest victim was Saffie-Rose Roussos, aged eight.
Six years on the city united again to remember those affected by the blast, with the focal point for many the new city centre Glade of Light memorial opened in May 2022 by royals William and Kate.
Some lay floral tributes yesterday, while two separate one minute’s silence took place at Manchester Victoria Station next to the Arena – at noon and 10.31pm. Throughout the day at church services the names of the 22 who lost their lives were read out, with Manchester Cathedral open for those who wished to light a candle or pray.
Pleading
Michael and Joanne Hurley, the parents of Megan, 15, wore her favourite colour orange to lay flowers at the memorial. In the aftermath of the attack, Michael of Halewood, Merseyside, could be heard on police officers’ bodyworn cameras pleading with her as they administered CPR: “Come on Meg. Come on Megan, love.”
The parents of Philip Tron, 32, of Gateshead, came to see the spot where he died. Mum June said: “He’s always in our hearts – anything we do, anywhere we go there’s always some thought about him.”
Figen Murray, who lost son Martyn Hett in the attack and has since battled for better venue security under “Martyn’s Law”, said: “Every May is a dark time, everybody dreads the month of May – all your sadness, all that pain coming back to the surface.”
But she added: “The Glade of Light is really special. It’s a reminder of the solidarity for everybody in the city.A lot of people felt the attack was against their city.A lot of people took it personally and there is a very common grief.” Yesterday Manchester United, the police, the Home Office and deputy mayor Kate Green paid tribute to the victims and families.