I saw a tweet yesterday from @KatyDunn that said “if anyone is feeling shocked or confused at #ParsonsGreen, I’m round the corner and the kettle’s on”. I can’t think of a better way of summing up the spirit of London when faced by those who seek to bring hatred and division to our city.
Once again the emergency services sprung into action in Parsons Green and we can’t thank them enough for all they do for us all year round.
For those injured, let us pray that they recover. Our thoughts are with them.
We don’t know half of the details yet, but once again terrorists have apparently attacked our city and sadly it is becoming something we have had to learn to cope with again this year in London.
A huge amount of work is going on into tackling the causes of extremism and to stop such incidents. I have met local anti-radicalisation projects and written on this complex subject.
The aim of a terrorist attack may be the same, to cause fear, injuries and terror but the reasons for the attackers turning to terrorism is often varied and complex. While the majority of us condemn terrorism, if we want to stop these attacks before they happen we need to confront the drivers of terrorism head on. This is why I believe that local anti-radicalisation projects should be supported.
We must also work together. The police cannot monitor every single potential suspect. We live in a free country and it must remain that way. It is why we choose to be here.
So, it must come down to us to report what we know, to help police with their investigation and if you know something to come forward.
I held a conference this weekend which brought a huge range of communities from across London together. I can’t remember who said it but I think this sums it up. We may all have our differences but in the end London is a family, a family made up of many different members. As a family we can aim to root out the terrorists, head off those who might go down that path before they do and continue to enjoy the way of life our city offers us.
London is strong, Britain is strong. We won’t be defeated by terrorists whatever they may think. They’ve already lost the argument.
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