SPEECH BY LONDON’S MAYOR KEN LIVINGSTONE
This was a cowardly attack, which has resulted in injury and loss of life.
Our thoughts are with everyone who has been injured, or lost loved
ones. I want to thank the emergency services for the way they have
responded.
Following the al-Qaeda attacks on September 11th in America we
conducted a series of exercises in London in order to be prepared for
just such an attack. One of the exercises undertaken by the government,
my office and the emergency and security services was based on the
possibility of multiple explosions on the transport system during the
Friday rush hour. The plan that came out of that exercise is being
executed today, with remarkable efficiency and courage, and I praise
those staff who are involved.
I’d like to thank Londoners for the calm way in which they have
responded to this cowardly attack and echo the advice of the
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair – do everything possible
to assist the police and take the advice of the police about getting
home today.
I have no doubt whatsoever that this is a terrorist attack. We did
hope in the first few minutes after hearing about the events on the
Underground that it might simply be a maintenance tragedy. That was
not the case. I have been able to stay in touch through the very
excellent communications that were established for the eventuality that
I might be out of the city at the time of a terrorist attack and they
have worked with remarkable effectiveness. I will be in continual
contact until I am back in London.
I want to say one thing specifically to the world today. 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. It was an indiscriminate attempt to slaughter,
irrespective of any considerations for age, for class, for religion, or
whatever.
That isn’t an ideology, it isn’t even a perverted faith – it is just
an indiscriminate attempt at mass murder and 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,
that the city of London is the greatest in the world, because everybody
lives side by side in harmony. Londoners will not be divided by this
cowardly attack. They will stand together in solidarity alongside those
who have been injured and those who have been bereaved and that is why
I’m proud to be the mayor of that city.
Finally, I wish to speak directly to those who came to London today to take life.
I know that you personally do not fear giving up your own life in
order to take others – that is why you are so dangerous. But I know you
fear that you may fail in your long-term objective to destroy our free
society and I can show you why you will fail.
In the days that follow look at our airports, look at our sea ports
and look at our railway stations and, even after your cowardly attack,
you will see that people from the rest of Britain, people from around
the world will arrive in London to become Londoners and to fulfil their
dreams and achieve their potential.
They choose to come to London, as so many have come before because
they come to be free, they come to live the life they choose, they come
to be able to be themselves. They flee you because you tell them how
they should live. They don’t want that and nothing you do, however many
of us you kill, will stop that flight to our city where freedom is
strong and where people can live in harmony with one another. Whatever
you do, however many you kill, you will fail.
