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Updated 20.10
SERVICES HAVE BEEN held today in London in memory of the 52 people who died in the transport bombings of 2005.
Britons laid flowers at the sites of the suicide bombings and held a nationwide minute of silence for the victims on the tenth anniversary of the attacks.
Prime Minister David Cameron led the tributes by placing a wreath at a memorial in Hyde Park and petals were released from the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral during a service there.
The Hyde Park ceremony began at exactly 8:50am – the time the first of four homegrown jihadists detonated his device on London’s transport system on 7 July, 2005.
“It’s still raw 10 years on,” said Mark, a 40-year-old train driver fighting back tears on the plaza outside King’s Cross train station, near two of the four blast scenes.
“You see things you don’t want to see again. It was horrendous,” he said, adding that he was on duty at the time and was involved in rescue operations.
Bouquets of flowers were laid in nearby Tavistock Square, on the spot where one of the bombers detonated his device on a red double-decker bus, killing 13 people.
“Our precious daughter Shyanu. When heaven took our angel back, they left two broken hearts,” read one message left in memory of 30-year-old Shayanuja Parathasangary.
At Russell Square Underground station where a second device was detonated on a train, a tent was erected near the station entrance where mourners could sit and pay a silent tribute.
Spectators at the Wimbledon tennis tournament joined in the minute of silence, as did tourists outside St Paul’s where families of the victims and survivors had gathered.
“Ten years on from the 7/7 London attacks, the threat from terrorism continues to be as real as it is deadly,” Cameron said.
The murder of 30 innocent Britons whilst holidaying in Tunisia is a brutal reminder of that fact. But we will never be cowed by terrorism.
The Britons were among 38 people killed when a gunman went on the rampage at a popular Tunisian beach resort on 26 June, Britain’s worst terror incident since the 2005 bombings.
In a social media tribute that quickly trended on Twitter, many commuters posted pictures of themselves walking to work as part of a #WalkTogether campaign by leaders of different faiths to honour the victims.
In the past decade, successive governments have strengthened security powers and improved the way the emergency services respond to attacks after criticism of severe delays.
But they are still struggling to address the problem of radicalisation exposed by the bombings, which were carried out not by foreign fighters but by four young men who grew up in Britain and were inspired by Al-Qaeda.
Hundreds of British young people are now flocking to join the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq, raising fears that they might return to attack their homeland.
Despite new security measures put in place in recent years, the head of the MI5 domestic intelligence agency, Andrew Parker, warned that the risk remained high.
“Appalling acts are attempted by individuals who have grown up here but decided for whatever twisted reasons to identify their own country as the enemy,” he said in a rare public statement.
The continuing fact that some people, born in the UK, with all the opportunities and freedoms that modern Britain offers, can nonetheless make those sorts of warped choices presents a serious societal and security challenge.
For many of those directly affected by the London bombings, the anniversary has brought back painful memories.
David Boyce was a 25-year-old supervisor at Russell Square station and one of the first to witness the carnage.
“There were body parts all over the place and dead bodies lying all over the train,” he told AFP.
Prince William joined the ceremony in Hyde Park where several survivors spoke of their experiences.
Emma Craig, 24, was just a schoolgirl on one of the trains targeted as she made her way to a work experience programme.
“All of us lost our innocence on that day,” she said.
It might not have broken London but it broke some of us.
A day to reflect
The 7/7 bombing, as it is known, saw 52 people killed and hundreds more injured when a series of bombs went off on public transport during a terrorist attack.
In a statement, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, said:
Today is a day to remember and reflect. To remember those whose lives were taken from them, the hundreds of people injured and caught up in the horrific carnage, and all those people whose loved ones never returned home.
It is a time to reflect upon our City, how strongly we came together to stand up to the threat we faced, and to send a message to terrorists that London was, and continues to be, strong, united and vibrant.
For so many of my officers and staff the 7th July 2005 is a day that they too will never forget. A day that doing their duty meant running towards scenes of horror that were unimaginable, not knowing what would face them when they arrived and doing their absolute very best to help.
Their actions, emergency services colleagues and the public were brave, professional and fill me with humility and pride for what they collectively delivered. The hard work continued in the days and weeks that followed.
We will never, ever be complacent. Whilst I hope that we will never need to deliver such a response again, if we do we will be ready.
My thoughts today are with those taken from us, those who were affected, remain affected and with my own men and women who, day-in day-out are here for London.
Story of a bombing
London Fire Brigade’s Commissioner, Ron Dobson, was the Gold Commander during the bombings.
In a video on the fire service’s website, he said that 7 July “started off like any ordinary day” but “turned into a day I will never forget”.
The site details how the first call on the day came from a member of the public at 8.57am, who said they suspected there had been a gas explosion at Praed Street, close to Edgware Road.
By 9am, more calls had started to come in. (Can’t hear the Soundcloud clip? Click here)
https://soundcloud.com/londonfirebrigade/77-anniversary-control1
By 9.05am, fire crew were beginning to suspect that the incident was not a normal one. It was becoming clear that several other incidents were also occurring.
The first fire engines arrived at Kings Cross at 9.13am.
At 9.47am, a member of the public called Brigade Control to say that an explosion had occurred on a bus.
This was the final deadly incident on a day when terror gripped the English capital.
To read about how the fire service in London dealt with the events, visit its interactive timeline.
Remembering the dead
Today, a number of services will take place to mark the anniversary.
Wreaths were laid at the July 7 memorial in Hyde Park by London Mayor Boris Johnson and British Prime Minister David Cameron at 8.50am, the time when the first three explosions rocked the London underground at Russell Square, Edgeware Road and Aldgate.
At 11am, a service will take place at St Paul’s Cathedral to remember those who died.
A minute’s silence will be held at 11.30am, and is expected to be observed on London transport and at Wimbledon.
The BBC reports that commuters are being encouraged to get off the tube or bus a stop early today and take the rest of their journey on foot, in a show of unity and remembrance.
Additional reporting Cianan Brennan and AFP
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They were reported on enough in the likes of Europe, Australia and Asia where people actually give a toss about global events. There’s little appetite for global news in the US as it confuses too many people who are unaware that places exist outside America.
@The Guru: I’d love the see the size list of under-reported multiple victim shootings in the U.S from last year.
That old chestnut… Americans with mental health issues is very different from a group pathologically disposed to subterfuge and altering your way of life, and now bedding itself in within Europe.. Wakey Wakey..
Martin, would you not say they also have mental health issues? France has the highest Muslim population in Europe, most families moved to France in the 60′s. The first mosque in arms was built in 1922 and guess what? There are still less that 10 million Muslims in France. Muslims in Europe is not new. Stop pretending it is.
*Paris
@Dave O Keeffe: Muslims and jews have been in Europe since the time of the crusades.
Exactly, and the country with the most Muslims they still only make up about 7% of the population (as its illegal to record religion in census in France I have used the highest reliable estimate I found, which is also coincidentally the average of all numbers I found when including the not so reliable estates)
@Martin Critten: And yet despite being so concerned for the safety of the people he’s dismantling legislation to stop mentally ill people from purchasing guns
I’m just glad that when the trump admin released their list of underreported terrorist events they included the bowling green massacre. For too long they have conspired to keep that quiet and it honours all those who lost their lives. Including me.
@Tony Canning: You lost your life in the bowling green massacre too? Maybe we should create a club?
Nevar ferget.
@Dave O Keeffe: The Muslims were in Spain hundreds of years ago. They were kicked out and still complain about it. Muslims tend to like warm dry climates for some reason
Would love just one day, where this fool isn’t in the news.
Only 1445 days to go
What a stupid list by the White House. Loads of attacks on their list received massive attention. Such as the Brussels airport attack last year.
And they did not even go to the bother to say when the attack in Kuwait happened.
I think he’s referring to the fake news websites he uses for his news
@Boganity: You have to wonder if that’s the ‘yard stick’ the President of America, the so called most powerful man in the world, has reduced measuring terrorism to, not the opinion of any one of his 17 intelligence agencies, but whether they recieved “adequate attention from Western media sources”. You couldn’t make this up, you really couldn’t.
I know and making it even worse is the list released by his staff to back up his claims, the incidents listed where massively reported worldwide so how he knows nothing about them is a real concern
@Ace: Good job Ireland isn’t on the list then…..
Under reporting ☺
Glad that doesn’t happen with RTE and the independent ☺
Unless it’s Sinn Fein, then they’ll both go to town with the negative reporting.
I’m glad it does happen anywhere accept in his head
Kenny should present him with a bowl of sawdust to represent what’s actually between his ears
@Boganity: This is interesting.
We need to halt the Muslim advance
This from the man who MADE UP “The Bowling Green massacre”.
In fairness I’m sure it was Kelly ann Conway who mentioned that
@Fear Uisce: Ah, but is it on the list, did it recieve adequate attention?
@Fear Uisce: If the press aren’t reporting enough terrorism, to justify your xenophobia, simply make some up. “I’m not happy with the amount of terrorist events being reported. Get out there Kellyann and give the press some alternative facts.” She’s just his mouthpiece. He’s the lying xenophobe.
He accused the media of not reporting on terrorist incidences without giving any examples. He’s being ridiculous.
He did, 78 examples to be precise.
They were all reported on though.
That list was produced later to make Trump look less stupid. Those 78 cases were “underreported”. That just means they weren’t on the front page of newspapers.
@Jason Culligan: One of those examples that the dope gave is Philadelphia.When was that declared as a ‘terrorist’ attack ?
Jason, on the list is Paris France Sept 2015, how was that under reported? It’s time you stopped trying to justify everything Trump says no matter how ill informed or stupid.
The Orlando nightclub shooting is on the list. That was extensively covered
@Dave O Keeffe: Jason is stuck in Trump’s arse, he is fed on Trump’s sh*t, and believes everything the big orange says, cut him some slack, he’s intelectually challenged enough, as it is.
Is the Dylan rooff shooting included or is that outside the timespan/ethnicity of the perpetrator????
Larissa I’ve never agreed much with Jason, but I always found him well informed on topics, but definitely his mask is slipping lately. Even he can’t defend the indefensible, I suppose.
trump would give his left ball for a new bin laden video.
Expect a “Reichstag” I’d say…
Trump is aching for his own 9/11 moment, when he can join his people together for the last holy war. Trumps triumph will herald the end of the empire
Sure there were some attacks in Israel and other places as well. Don’t see them on the list either.
The Donald Duck Cabinet is underreporting on terrorism.
It’s Called minimising the desired effect of terror, I look forward to the day I don’t see his ugly mutt plastered all over every newsfeed.
This is the work of Bannon, a hideous creature lurking in the background with his own twisted agenda.
You mean Baldrick the Blackadder character
This is the refugee vetting process that Bannon finds wayyyyy too lax :
They’re absolutely right. The media never reports on attacks in middle eastern countries.
It’s the new Donald and Mickey show
Unfortunately that’s because no one in this part is interested in or cares about what happens to people in the Middle East, if we did we wouldn’t have a refugee crisis
The Journal fails to mention that during Trumps rant in Tampa, he singled out Europe for unreported terrorist attacks.
@Chris Kirk: I know, it’s such a missed opportunity to point out yet another example of “Alternative Facts” from Trump
He is an idiot. One of his reports of terrorism was a friend of mine family member who was killed by a person with mental illness. Was never reported as a terrorist attack. The day he is forced out of office will be a day the rest of the world will celebrate.
New polls show what corrupt media agenda wants to say – as usual……should be the headline.
As proven during election and brexit etc…..these polls do not reflect the opinions they say they do – and are often doctored and manipulated – and simply wrong.
When is the media going to realise that their polls do not drive public opinion, it is the other way around, and if the ask the wrong questions from unrepresentative samples they get the wrong answers
Is it just me, or is Trump looking more and more like Boris Yeltsin ???
Nut Jobs the pair of them !!
@Gerald Duffy: That’s an insult to Boris
It is an interesting argument that ‘non-US citizens entering the country for the first time have no constitutional rights’. So when do the constitutional rights take effect? After immigration control? When you leave the airport? When you cross a state border?
And what happens before you get the constitutional rights? Can you be subjected to torture at the airport? Arbitrarily detained? Subjected to ‘cruel and degrading’ punishments?
The argument that the injunction is too wide in being nation-wide is also strange. The President’s executive order had nationwide effect. Was the Federal judge to stay it in Seattle only? Could a citizen of one of the 7 countries enter the USA at Seattle but not San Francisco?
I know nothing about American constitutional law but common sense suggsts that these arguments are so weak that they cannot succeed. If these are the Department of Justices best arguments they are in trouble. We will know tomorrow morning.
@Patrick Brompton: The key word in your comment is ‘common sense’, something that’s sadly missing in the Trump administration
I fail to see the point of this list. In the full list the nationalities of the known attackers is included. The American attacks? Performed by Americans. Most of the attacks were carried out by citizens of the country they occurred in. More Americans die in mass shootings carried out by white people. Surely the goal is to save as many lives as possible. Radicalisation happens online not at an airport.
**Breaking News**
Donald Trump does own a bathrobe.
(Updates to follow)
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