Tag Archives: London Bombings

Politics

So Just What Did Happen At Stockwell?

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Listening to PM tonight, they played part of a press conference given by the family of Jean Charles de Menezes, the Brazilian shot on Stockwell Underground station last Friday. Oddly enough, it is not on the BBC News web site, however a report of the press conference is here.

The generally accepted description of what happened is described on this BBC news page, key points being that Police said he was wearing a padded jacket, and that he vaulted over the barriers. However what is concerning about the information in the news conference is that the station CCTV video apparently disagrees with these points, instead showing Menezes in a denim jacket using his travelcard to go through the barriers like any other underground user.

This is following on from news yesterday that although security sources say he had an out of date visa, both his family, and Foreign Secretary Jack Straw disagree and say that he was in the UK legally, and also that he was shot eight times, rather than the originally reported five.

All of this seems to muddy the water, and also adds to concern in that we have several ‘facts’ given by the security services, that subsequently seem to be totally incorrect. He had been tracked from flats that the Police were watching, and had not raised suspicion until getting onto the train. Could it be as simple as Menezes simply spotted that a train going his direction was in the platform and ran for the train? That he had the misfortune to live in the same tower block as the terrorists and not want to miss his train? Who knows, but I suspect it may take many months, even years before we find out.

Update: The BBC now have a report of the press conference here. The IO Error blog has also collected more details here.

Politics

“London Is Like An American Cop Show”

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With the fast moving nature of the current situation in London we watched Newsnight, which opened by comparing the days events in London with “an American Cop show”.

I have to say that during the day, with news coming in of the shooting of a suspect on Stockwell station and houses raided on the Harrow Road and another in Stockwell, following on from the attempted bombings yesterday, and the chase through University College Hospital, I was starting to reflect on how much like a 24 plot this is becoming.

As with many, I think there is also an increasing amazement at the change. Listening to PM on the way home one listener e-mailed in to say that he was more concerned about having police that would shoot a restrained suspect than having bombers on the loose. This perhaps is now the source of most discussion, especially over whether the Police have changed their standard policies over warnings, and where to aim. There is also discussion over whether those people involved yesterday where special forces rather than Police at all.

Having said that, perhaps the biggest breakthrough is the fact that none of the bombs went off on Thursday which leaves a lot of evidence, plus live terrorists to catch. I suspect we are in for many more days of fast moving investigations before this is over, even without this mornings news of bombs in Egypt.

As to how it will affect us, Beth and myself had an interesting conversation yesterday. Whilst you’re more likely to get injured on the roads in London than hit by a bomb, whereas Beth was keen to go up to London for the day at some point during the holidays she has decided it would be better not to go. Basically with all the chaos and disruption at the moment it seems that avoiding going into London unless we have to is the best policy.

By coincidence the BBC are also starting a new series looking at how Al-Qaeda has been changed since September 11th starts on Monday on BBC2.

General

Two Minutes Silence

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Today, as all over the country, myself and the people on the course with me took part in a two minutes silence to remember those who were killed last week in the terrorist bombs in London.

2 Minutes Silence

Unlike other silences, for example for Rememberance Sunday, everybody was asked to go and stand on the street to give a visible indication of the numbers, and I have to say by doing that it made it a much more moving experience – seeing a major London road come to a complete halt, and thousands of people standing in total silence was incredible, and I hope sends a very visible message.

Of course it wasn’t without difficulties – trying to fit all the people in the four eight floor office blocks onto the pavement was a bit of a squeeze, as somebody said, a bit like trying to squeeze onto a tube train – in a strange way rather fitting.

General

We’re Both Fine

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Since we’ve already had a couple of people phone or e-mail, having seen the news of the bombings in London, I thought I should just post a note and say that we are both fine. We don’t often have need to go into central London anyway, (although I’m due to go there next week for a course) so we weren’t directly affected. However I know that as we are relatively close by friends and family may be worried.

In terms of other friends, so far none of the people we know who commute into London seem to have been hurt, although one of my fellow basses in the choir was still on a bus in Docklands rather than at choir practice tonight.

Strangely I’ve found that I’m almost nonchalant about the whole thing. I’m not sure whether it is down to having grown up whilst the IRA were regularly bombing Central London, or the fact that I’m determined that I’m not going to change what I do as a result of the threat. Whilst I’m sad for the people who have been hurt and have died, and some of the pictures, particularly the phone-cam shots taken by people leaving the bomb sites, and of the remains of the bus are harrowing, at the same time all three Underground bombs were on parts of the system I have used, and I’m sure will use again.

The claim of responsibility contains the usual selection of tedious extremist claptrap, and apparently “Britain is now burning with fear, terror and panic in its northern, southern, eastern, and western quarters.” – sorry to disappoint you, but not from what I can see. Battered and bruised maybe, but nobody I know is burning with fear, terror and panic.

Finally two quotes which sum up my feelings on the whole thing. First Ken Livingstone, London Mayor:

This was not a terrorist attack against the mighty and the powerful.

It was not aimed at presidents or prime ministers. It was aimed at ordinary working-class Londoners, black and white, Muslim and Christian, Hindu and Jew, young and old.

Indiscriminate slaughter irrespective of any consideration for age, class, religion, whatever.

That isn’t an ideology. It isn’t even a perverted faith. It is just an indiscriminate attempt at mass murder.

And secondly, Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sachs:

These terrible events have brought home to us the full evil that terror represents.

It is not the weapon of the weak against the strong but the rage of the angry against the defenceless and innocent. It is an evil means to an evil end.

For ongoing news, see the BBC News site. There is also a Flickr group going that contains a real mix of pictures of the results of the attack through to mundane shots of life going on despite the attack, and is the source of a number of the shots being used by the big news organisations. Wikipedia already has a full summary of what has happened.