Manchester attack: Thousands gather for vigil in 'show of solidarity' after bomb blast

Fiona Simpson24 May 2017

Thousands of people have gathered in the centre of Manchester in a show of defiance, declaring they will not be "beaten" or "intimidated" in the wake of a terror attack which killed 22 people at an Ariana Grande gig.

Crowds spilled from Albert Square on to nearby roads, standing together in an act of solidarity following the blast at the city’s 21,000 capacity venue.

A further 59 people were also injured in the attack for which Islamic State terrorists claimed responsibility.

Lu Bowen, 40, brought flowers to lay as a mark of respect, and said it has been a "horrific" day.

Huge demo: Crowds gathered in solidarity
REUTERS

Standing alongside her teenage daughter Lucy, she said: "We watched it all unfold last night.

"We felt we wanted to show a sense of solidarity and commitment that Manchester always has.

"When the chips are down, Manchester always pulls together."

She said some of her friends felt nervous about the prospect of coming into the city on Tuesday night, adding: "I personally just want to make a stand that even if my friends felt a bit nervous, I felt it was very important to prove that I won't be beaten, intimidated.

"And also, people have lost loved ones. If it was me, I'd want to see this."

People lay down flowers ahead of a vigil in Albert Square
AP

Lucy said she had friends at the concert who were "shaken up", adding: "A few of them didn't come into school."

Her mother said: "It's been a horrific day. But we all feel the same here. We're here together."

The crowds erupted into applause as the vigil began.

Crowds laid flowers at the vigil
AP

Senior figures including Home Secretary Amber Rudd, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Speaker John Bercow joined Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham on stage.

Lord Mayor of Manchester Eddy Newman said the vigil was a chance to "express solidarity" with the victims.

He thanked the emergency services, prompting a rapturous response from the thousands of people gathered there.

Addressing the crowd, Greater Manchester Police's Ian Hopkins said: "As your Chief Constable of Greater Manchester and as a father I cannot begin to imagine how anyone can carry out such an unthinkable act - murdering 22 people and injuring 59 - and my thoughts and those of my colleague are very much with their families at this incredibly difficult time."

Members of the Manchester Sikh Community attend a vigil in Albert Square
AP

He added: "Last night, in the most atrocious circumstances, the people of Greater Manchester showed the world how much we care.

"How much we care about each other and how much we were prepared to help those in need.

"And I've heard some tremendous stories of doctors coming in to support and police officers, ambulance workers giving up their days off turning up to help those in need."

Manchester Arena explosion aftermath - In pictures

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Mr Hopkins thanked those who had worked "tirelessly" through the night, "members of the public for their solidarity" and "the rest of the world for holding us in their thoughts".

"We must all stand together and not let the terrorists defeat us, not let them stop us going about our daily business and create fear and we must all live in harmony with each other as we stand together and defeat terrorism," he said.

Police named the attacker as 22-year-old Salman Abedi on Tuesday afternoon.

Another 23-year-old man was arrested following a raid on a house in Fallowfields.

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