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London: 7 Killed in Saturday’s Attack on London Bridge & Borough Market

HeadlineJun 05, 2017

In London, at least 12 people have been arrested after three attackers killed seven people and injured 48 more on Saturday night. The attackers rammed a van into pedestrians on London Bridge and then stabbed people in Borough Market. The three attackers were shot dead by police. This is a witness to the attack.

Attack witness: “It was fear on the streets of London, basically. I’ve not experienced that before. Been there for 12-odd years, basically. I’ve never seen that kind of fear, especially on a night out. And it was horrific to be involved in that kind of situation.”

ISIS claimed responsibility for Saturday’s attack, which came less than two weeks after 22 people were killed in a bombing in Manchester at an Ariana Grande concert. On Sunday, Ariana Grande held a memorial concert in Manchester to raise money for the bombing victims and their families. Following Saturday’s attack, Britain’s Conservative Party and the opposition Labour Party temporarily suspended campaigning for the national elections this Thursday. Prime Minister Theresa May has vowed to conduct a sweeping review of Britain’s counterterrorism strategy, saying “enough is enough.” London Mayor Sadiq Khan also spoke out after the attack.

Mayor Sadiq Khan: “There aren’t words to describe the grief and anger that our city will be feeling today. I’m appalled and furious that these cowardly terrorists would deliberately target innocent Londoners and bystanders enjoying their Saturday night. There can be no justification for the acts of these terrorists. And I’m quite clear: We will never let them win, nor will we allow them to cower our city or Londoners. Londoners will see an increased police presence today and over the course of the next few days. No reason to be alarmed. One of the things the police and all of us need to do is make sure we’re as safe as we possibly can be. I’m reassured that we are one of the safest global cities in the world, if not the safest global city in the world. But we always evolve and review ways to make sure that we remain as safe as we possibly can.”

Following London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s remarks, U.S. President Donald Trump took to Twitter to attack the mayor, tweeting, “At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is 'no reason to be alarmed!'” In fact, Khan had been speaking about the increased police presence in the city when he said there was no reason to be alarmed. A spokesman for Khan later dismissed Trump’s comments, responding that the mayor “has more important things to do than respond to Donald Trump’s ill-informed tweet that deliberately takes out of context his remarks urging Londoners not to be alarmed when they saw more police—including armed officers—on the streets.” The United States’ acting ambassador to Britain, Lew Lukens, contradicted President Trump, tweeting, “I commend the strong leadership of the @MayorofLondon as he leads the city forward after this heinous attack.” Khan is London’s first Muslim mayor.

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