Westminster attack: Parliament and London will carry on, says May
Theresa May preached a very British message in the wake of the Westminster terror attack on Wednesday night, saying Parliament and Londoners would be keeping calm and carrying on come Thursday morning.
The Prime Minister addressed media outside 10 Downing Street after chairing a meeting of the COBRA emergency committee.
EARLIER: Four dead, others injured in Westminster outrage
She described the attack as “sick and depraved”, confirming the incident involved a single attacker driving through pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, before crashing his vehicle into the fence of the Palace of Westminster.
He then breached the perimeter of the palace, rushing a police officer who he attacked with a knife.
May confirmed that of the four dead, two were pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, one was the police officer he attacked and one was the attacker himself.
The suspect’s identity was still not publicly known.
“The United Kingdom’s threat level has been set at severe for some time and this will not change,” May said.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to all who have been affected - to the victims themselves, and their family and friends who waved their loved ones off, but will not now be welcoming them home.”
The Prime Minister said the location of the attack was “no accident”, and that the terrorist chose to strike at the heart of the capital, where “people of all nationalities, religions and cultures come together to celebrate the values of liberty, democracy and freedom of speech”.
She confirmed that Parliament would meet as usual on Thursday morning.
“Londoners - and others from around the world who have come here to visit this great city - will get up and go about their day as normal.
“They will board their trains, they will leave their hotels, they will walk these streets, they will live their lives.
“And we will all move forward together. Never giving in to terror, and never allowing the voices of hate and evil to drive us apart.”
Trump, other leaders express condolences
The US President spoke to Theresa May in the hours after the attack, reportedly offering Britain the United States’ cooperation and support.
Trump’s praised “the effective response of security forces and first responders” in a media statement.
I spoke with PM Theresa May of the United Kingdom to offer my condolences on today's terror attack in London....https://t.co/j1Cr3WMuU7 pic.twitter.com/2Jy51T7Kvi
— President Trump (@POTUS) March 22, 2017
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also offered his thoughts, saying: “On behalf of the United States, I send my condolences to the victims and their families,”
“The American people send their thoughts and prayers to the people of the United Kingdom.
“We condemn these horrific acts of violence, and whether they were carried out by troubled individuals or by terrorists, the victims know no difference.”
France’s President Francois Hollande offered his country’s friendship, with the Elysee Palace saying he “conveyed the solidarity of France in this tragic ordeal”.
His country had suffered a number of deadly terror attacks in the last two years, with another blow coming out of the Westminster attack as a number of French schoolchildren were injured on Westminster Bridge.
Leaders from Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Russia and Spain had also offered their condolences and thoughts after the attack.
Trump Jr slammed for ridiculing London mayor
It wasn’t all diplomacy coming out of the Trump family, however, with Donald Trump’s son coming under fire on social media for ridiculing London mayor Sadiq Khan.
Donald Trump Jr retweeted a link to an interview Khan gave to the Independent in September, in which he said being prepared for a terror attack was “part and parcel of living in a great global city”.
You have to be kidding me?!: Terror attacks are part of living in big city, says London Mayor Sadiq Khan https://t.co/uSm2pwRTjO
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) March 22, 2017
Trump Jr commented “You have to be kidding me?! Terror attacks are part of living in the big city, says London Mayor Sadiq Khan”.
But he was met with a wave of criticism, with some soon pointing out that Khan was talking about preparedness for a terror attack, not that they were inevitable.