Sadiq Khan, the mayor of a bustling city that on Wednesday was hit by a deadly attack, came Thursday evening to a public square that commemorates a British naval triumph, the Battle of Trafalgar. But his visit had little to do with celebration. Instead, he was there to reassure his fellow Londoners.
With the acting police commissioner and the home secretary at this side, Khan told the crowd that London was strong.
"Those evil and twisted individuals who try to destroy our shared way of life will never succeed, and we condemn them," he said to applause. "This is a time to express our gratitude to the heroism of our police officers and emergency services, who ran towards danger to help at the same time that they encouraged others to run for safety."
A minute of silence followed his address, and then Khan spoke to a scrum of British and European journalists, repeatedly emphasizing that British defenses were robust and advanced.
"Over the last four years, more than a dozen terrorist attacks have been thwarted because of the excellence of the police, the security services, and because of the intelligence we receive from members of the public," he said. "Over the last few months, I've seen how we plan and we prepare for these sorts of incidents."
But many residents at the event, a sprawling candlelight vigil for the victims of Wednesday's violence, said they did not need to be reassured. They were not afraid, they said defiantly - a day after a 52-year-old man plowed through pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before fatally stabbing a police officer at the gates to Parliament. The Islamic State militant group has asserted responsibility for the attack, which killed four people. The attacker was killed at the scene.
Why are they not afraid?
"Because I'm a Londoner. This is my city," said Geraldine Cook, who was born in London but lives in the suburbs. "How can we be afraid?"
She drew a comparison to her parents' generation, which came of age during World War II.
"We're talking about bombs going off in the city as they were growing up," said Cook, who works in publishing. "I've been thinking over the past day about what that must have been like."
Wednesday's attack, London's deadliest since a set of subway bombings in 2005, has drawn international attention to Khan, who was elected last year to the mayor's office. In the hours after the attack, he drew the ire of Donald Trump Jr., who posted on Twitter a link to a story from last year misconstruing Khan's declaration that terror preparedness had to become customary in major cities. "You have to be kidding me?!" the U.S. president's son wrote, suggesting that Khan was saying that terror itself was normal. British lawmakers swiftly rebuked Trump.
Khan is the first Muslim mayor of a major Western capital. That made him an effective spokesman for the city as it faced down an attack inspired by Islamist extremism, said two imams at the vigil, Tahin Khalid and Musharaf Ahmed, both 25.
"He's a really good role model," Khalid said. "He has credibility when he stands up and says that extremism has no religion and that religion is something that should put peace into people's heart."
Ahmed said Khan's position of influence and the decency he brings to it offer a clear counterpoint for young people who might be tempted to radicalize.
Others said the London mayor was making a wise decision to ramp up police presence in the city.
"It's the uncertainty," said Tyler Dudman, 19, referring to the random nature of such attacks. "I'm not necessarily afraid, but it's the way they're going about it - it's so difficult to predict."
He said the mayor's message to those gathered in the square amounted to a "show of strength."
For Sonia Sangra, 24, the show was poignant but not necessary.
"I'm not scared by this," she said. "That would be giving the terrorists what they want. Instead, we have to make clear that their message isn't getting across. I mean, what religion would justify this? None."
The Washington Post
Fri Mar 24 2017
Britain's Home Secretary Amber Rudd listens as London Mayor Sadiq Khan speaks at a vigil in Trafalgar Square the day after an attack, in London, Britain March 23, 2017. REUTERS
Mahkamah tolak saman pegawai khas AG terhadap Rewcastle-Brown
Mahkamah Tinggi menolak saman fitnah yang difailkan oleh iaitu Mabel Sheela Mutthiah terhadap Editor Sarawak Report Clare Rewcastle-Brown.
Suspek abai penumpang ketika kapal terbakar dihukum penjara
Penantian lima tahun buat keluarga mangsa bot penyelam Conception untuk melihat suspek yang bertanggungjawab mengabai serta menyebabkan kematian 34 penumpang berakhir dengan keadilan buat mereka.
Kapten Jerry Boylan, 70 tahun dihukum penjara 10 tahun selepas terjun ke laut bagi menyelamatkan diri sendiri bersama empat anak kapal lain dalam kejadian kebakaran ngeri yang berlaku pada jam 2 pagi di Pelabuhan Platt berhampiran Pulau Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara.
Kapten Jerry Boylan, 70 tahun dihukum penjara 10 tahun selepas terjun ke laut bagi menyelamatkan diri sendiri bersama empat anak kapal lain dalam kejadian kebakaran ngeri yang berlaku pada jam 2 pagi di Pelabuhan Platt berhampiran Pulau Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara.
Pengaruh pemberontak semakin kuat & meluas di Colombia
Seorang kanak-kanak memegang belon berwarna merah, kuning dan biru -warna bendera negara Colombia di sebuah sekolah yang dibina serta dibiayai sepenuhnya oleh Estado Mayor Central (EMC), kumpulan yang diselia oleh pemberontak yang menguasai pelbagai kawasan di negara itu.
Senario ini memberi mesej mendalam bahawa usaha damai kerajaan pusat dengan kumpulan pemberontak Angkatan Bersenjata Revolusi Colombia (FARC) yang menyelia EMC itu, dilihat sukar.
Senario ini memberi mesej mendalam bahawa usaha damai kerajaan pusat dengan kumpulan pemberontak Angkatan Bersenjata Revolusi Colombia (FARC) yang menyelia EMC itu, dilihat sukar.
Palestin mohon Mesir benarkan permit sementara buat rakyat
Kedutaan Palestin Mesir memohon agar rakyatnya diberikan permit kependudukan untuk sementara waktu.
Duta Besar Palestin di Kaherah, Diab al-Louh pada Khamis memberitahu, kebenaran itu sekurang-kurangnya dapat mengurangkan kesengsaraan berterusan yang dihadapi penduduk di Gaza sehingga perang di wilayah itu selesai.
Duta Besar Palestin di Kaherah, Diab al-Louh pada Khamis memberitahu, kebenaran itu sekurang-kurangnya dapat mengurangkan kesengsaraan berterusan yang dihadapi penduduk di Gaza sehingga perang di wilayah itu selesai.
Malaysia kecam serangan pelampau Israel ke atas konvoi bantuan kemanusiaan Jordan
Malaysia mengecam sekeras-kerasnya serangan terang-terangan tanpa belas belas kasihan pelampau Israel ke atas konvoi bantuan kemanusiaan Jordan yang sedang menuju ke Gaza pada Rabu.
Polis surai himpunan dengan bom flash bangs
Selepas gagal untuk mematuhi arahan bersurai dalam tempoh 24 jam, polis bertindak lebih ganas dengan merempuh penghadang yang menempatkan kem penyokong Palestin di Universiti California, Los Angeles (LA).
Bukan itu sahaja, bom tangan flash bangs turut dilemparkan ke kawasan yang menempatkan mahasiswa-mahasiswa serta penyokong yang berhimpun sebagai tanda solidariti kepada rakyat Palestin.
Bukan itu sahaja, bom tangan flash bangs turut dilemparkan ke kawasan yang menempatkan mahasiswa-mahasiswa serta penyokong yang berhimpun sebagai tanda solidariti kepada rakyat Palestin.
AS tak senang Malaysia pertahankan Iran
Mohamed Nazri memaklumkan, ini kali kedua beliau dipanggil oleh Jabatan Negara Amerika Syarikat sejak mula bertugas lebih setahun yang lalu.
Bantuan untuk selesaikan isu bekalan air, miskin tegar - PM
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim mengumumkan peruntukan 20 juta ringgit bagi menyelesaikan isu bekalan air berikutan cuaca panas yang melanda Kelantan sehingga menyaksikan penyurutan air sungai dan menjejaskan tanaman padi.
Cadangan wujud unit integriti dalam Pejabat Menteri Besar
Menteri Besar Perlis, Mohd Shukri Ramli bercadang untuk mewujudkan unit integriti di dalam Pejabat Menteri Besar bagi mengurus tadbir kerajaan dengan lebih telus dan berwibawa.
Permohonan tajaan MARA dibuka 7 Mei
Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) akan membuka permohonan bagi penajaan pengajian peringkat Ijazah Sarjana dan Ijazah Kedoktoran (PhD) di dalam dan di luar negara pada Selasa depan.