Saturday 7 July 2012

July 7th 2005: London will not be cowed



Seven years ago London won the right to stage the 2012 Olympic Games.  Within 24 hours four bombs had been exploded in the city, killing 52 people.

Mayor Ken Livingstone responded:
I want to say one thing to the world today. This was not a terrorist attack against the mighty and 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 Jews, young and old; an indiscriminate attempt to slaughter, irrespective of any consideration for age, for castes, for religions, whatever. 
That isn't an ideology, that isn't even a perverted faith. It is just an indiscriminate attempt at mass murder. We know what the objective is. They seek to divide Londoners. They seek to turn Londoners against each other.  I said yesterday to the International Olympic Committee, this city of London is the greatest in the world because everybody lives side by side in harmony. And Londoners will not be divided by this cowardly attack. 
They will stand together in solidarity around those who have been injured and those who have been bereaved.


See Livingstone’s vey moving “London United” speech here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BSIBPsbL9c

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