The explosion in Manchester, UK, shook the global community. The news of the horror takes front pages. The world’s leaders express their condolences to the families of the victims.
The tragedy happened on Monday night, May 22, late at night outside Manchester Arena, where American singer Ariana Grande was performing. A total of 22 persons are reported dead, including several children, and at least 59 persons are injured, according to Greater Manchester Chief Constable Ian Hopkins. The attack was claimed by the terrorist organization Islamic State, as follows from the group’s website.
The public at the gig of Grande, who is immensely popular among teens, consisted mostly of young people, including many school students. The singer has already tweeted her reaction to the tragedy: “Broken. From the bottom of my heart, I am so so sorry. I don’t have words.”
The police say that the bomber was a man who had brought an “improvised explosive device” and blew it up when the public began to leave the Arena. The terror attack is still not officially confirmed, but the police are investigating it as the major version. Meanwhile a 23-year-old man was detained in connection with the attack.
Queen Elizabeth II said that “the whole nation has been shocked by the death and injury in Manchester last night of so many people, adults and children, who had just been enjoying a concert.”
British Prime Minister Theresa May agrees that this could be a terror attack. May said that the Manchester bombing “was among the worst terrorist incidents we have ever experienced in the United Kingdom,” adding that the police had probably already identified the suicide bomber, but for now would not disclose his name.
“All acts of terrorism are cowardly attacks on innocent people but this attack stands out for its appalling, sickening cowardice,” emphasized May. She condemned the “cold calculation” targeting children and young people.
Moreover, PM May and the leaders of other major parties announced the suspension of the election campaign.
The news of the British tragedy caught US President Donald Trump on his visit to Israel. Trump called the perpetrators of the attack “evil losers” and stressed that the United States is in “absolute solidarity” with the British people.
France’s Emmanuel Macron emphasized that his country will continue joint efforts with the UK to counter terrorists.
Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel noted that this attack “will only strengthen our resolve to continue to work together with our British friends against those who plan and carry out such inhumane deeds.”
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said he was deeply shocked to hear of the attack in Manchester: “It breaks my heart to think that, once again, terrorism has sought to instill fear where there should be joy, killing and injuring young people and families coming together in celebration.”
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said, “This is a direct attack on young people everywhere.”
Other world leaders also have expressed their condolences, among them Italy’s Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, President of Spain Mariano Rajoy, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, and the leader of China, Xi Jinping. Iran, too, offered support to the UK and promised to continue the efforts on uprooting terrorism.
MAY 23, 2017. KYIV. UKRAINE’S PRIME MINISTER VOLODYMYR HROISMAN HONORED THE MEMORY OF THOSE KILLED IN THE MANCHESTER TERRORIST ACT. HE LAID FLOWERS IN FRONT OF THE BRITISH EMBASSY IN UKRAINE AND SAID: “THE WORLD MUST STEM THE TIDE OF TERRORISM” / REUTERS photo
The victims were remembered in Kyiv, too. Ukrainians keep bringing flowers to the British Embassy. Judith Gough, Ambassador of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, expressed her condolences and thanked Ukraine’s government for solidarity and support. “Yesterday a horrible act of terror struck my nation. It was a shameful attack on young people who were enjoying a musical performance,” said Gough.
In his turn, Ukraine’s Prime Minister Volodymyr Hroisman, who paid a visit to the UK Embassy, said that “these barbaric plots can be carried out anywhere in the world, but the world must be strong and stem the tide of terrorism backed by some aggressor states.”
British and world media also reacted to the bombing of Manchester.
The Guardian reported many British papers canceling their morning issues after the news about the incident had spread.
The Manchester Evening News carried a photo of a wounded girl with the caption “Horror in the Arena” on its front page and called the event “a night of horror for the city.”
“The UK terror threat level was considered grave in the recent three years, which means that an attack was seen as quite probable. Yet in the recent months counter-terrorist activities gained pace: one arrest daily on average,” commented the BBC’s security correspondent Gordon Corera.
“MAJOR PARTIES ANNOUNCED SUSPENDING THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN”
The Day asked a London-based journalist Bohdan TSIUPYN to comment on the reaction of ordinary Brits and the British government and explain why the attack was unavoidable.
“The British police have long warned that attacks are probable. This spring, literally the other day, we saw an attacker to use a rent car and a couple of knives which he used to kill people on the Westminster Bridge outside the buildings of Parliament.
“What happened in Manchester is a bit different, as this time around it was a bombing. Namely, an explosive device. Based on the preliminary data, the police assume that only one suicide attacker was involved. Now, the key questions are: did he have any accomplices? How did he make the bomb? Who helped him? Who instructed him?
“When it comes to explosive devices, the situation goes to a whole new level and maybe, the level of threat will be raised, unless he is confirmed to have acted on his own. But now it is still too early to discuss this.
“Now the British election campaign is at full swing. June 8 is the ballot day in parliamentary election. Today all major parties announced a suspension of the campaign, i.e., so far there will be no rallies and constituency meetings. The campaign will probably resume, but it all depends on how the situation will develop.
“I happened to listen to the reactions of eyewitnesses and victims from Manchester, a city in northern England, Britain’s second largest. The people said that because they constantly see news about terror attacks and bombings, they are aware of them and understand the threat. On the other hand, seeing it on TV and in newspapers is one thing, while a personal experience is something quite different. Obviously, they are tense, and today this affects the people of Manchester the most.”
“IT IS A NEVER-ENDING WAR”
“From my experience as a journalist and reporter I can say that the police and security always tend to say that they are constantly working on preventing possible attacks and are busy with countering terrorists and extremists. Yet for an attack to happen it is enough if a terrorist only once gets past all security cordons.
“We have a situation in which, sadly, both experts and commentators who simply follow the security issues say that not everything can be prevented. A threat can be reduced, it can be constantly monitored, we can try to uproot and fight it. Yet it is extremely difficult to guarantee a complete terror-free situation where terrorists aim at major cities like London or Manchester. Sad as it sounds, such a mission is virtually impossible.
“I have just seen a statement from the police saying that over the past weeks British anti-terrorist forces had been carrying out at least one detention a day, so bad the situation is. In fact, it is a never-ending war. Yet sometimes this constant but obscure war bursts out into carnages like the one in Manchester.”
