Sporting venue/concert attacks have been a big fear of mine for a long time. Any gathering of people outside the security cordon is an easy target. I'm feeling sickened reading all of this, and sadly there aren't any easy solutions.
Huge sympathy to all involved/close to this.
Shocking, and attacking kids too, big man.
I wondered if anything was up yesterday, lots of police in London around the transport hubs. Police with automatic weapons very visible at Waterloo station. Perhaps some chatter on the intelligence grapevine or maybe just pre-election precautions.
Mrs Weeksy is due to be in the same place this weekend for Take That concert... Makes you think !
Sad sad news indeed.
No words
Awful and very depressing. Probably intended to affect the election in some way. The fact it was aimed at kids makes it even worse to think about.
Who'd want to brings kids into this world.
Big up to the people of Manchester for opening up rooms, taxi drivers getting people home etc.
I feel sick to the core.
You can help by donating blood. There will be special blood bank areas set up. Sorry I don't have any info on where to do this.
Loving the apologists in this thread wriggling every which way to explain it as anything other than terrorism.....helium balloon, stampede....yeah right, we all knew what this was when the news broke but people have become so desperate to appear 'PC' that they ignore the threat currently out there.
It's not racist to be recognise the threat of an extremist group FFS....it's not racism at all, it's not about 'brown skinned people' as someone so crassly put it in an earlier post....it's about the hateful, violent, part of a current religious ideology that sees the West as nothing other than to be conquered or exterminated.
That's real, that's not racism and it needs more than planks like Philip Schofield tweeting pics of himself looking sad to sort out.
Deviant, its not apologism, get a grip and stop trying to start a rammy. Not the time or place.
Our wonderful city is in tears. I'm gutted, utterly gutted. I was in the Trafford Centre with my girls last night and I cant stop thinking what if.
Don't be such a ******* moron deviant. People just weren't going to immediately jump to conclusions before any actual facts were known.
Ming has it. Much as I want to hit out at someone when I hear these stories, the best long term solution is showing your humanity. Sometimes people will abuse that sentiment, but ultimately you can not "win" without it.
Well done to all those showing compassion last night. My thoughts with those affected.
On a personal level, in my head I'm back in Manchester 20 years ago when my then girlfriend, now wife, having dropped me off at Ringways changed her mind about going shopping in the town centre with a friend. She was absolutely fine, but pre-mobiles, and given the time difference to the States where I'd flown, it was between 24 and 36 hours before I knew that.
My thoughts therefore are particularly with those who don't know where there lives ones are.
And deviant, there is a long history of bombing in Britain. This is just the latest chapter. We closed the last chapter through forgiveness and talking. You can't fight terrorism with guns, security checks and hard borders - stop individual acts yes, but long term you need a different solution. Much as it may stick, you need to find what you have in common with people and work from there.
igm + 1
Wonderfully put and sorry to hear about the traumatic memories this re-earths from 20 years ago.
Sad news, really awful. My thoughts are with parents, friends and relatives of those affected and the whole City of Manchester.
As for jumping to conclusions going right back to Cougar's post last night given the world we live in today and the active campaign of incitement to commit attacks the LOGICAL first responce is that its LIKELY to be an Islamic Jihadist inspired terrorst attack UNLESS proven otherwise.
And deviant, there is a long history of bombing in Britain. This is just the latest chapter. We closed the last chapter through forgiveness and talking. You can't fight terrorism with guns, security checks and hard borders - stop individual acts yes, but long term you need a different solution
Very well said indeed.
However, I can't really find the words to to express my feelings towards people who do things like this. There are not words strong enough for those who target kids.
https://twitter.com/GiveBloodNHS?lang=en
Summary - don't just turn up, but please keep your pre-arranged appointment if you have one.
So please disregard my earlier post.
As for jumping to conclusions going right back to Cougar's post last night given the world we live in today and the active campaign of incitement to commit attacks the LOGICAL first responce is that its LIKELY to be an Islamic Jihadist inspired terrorst attack UNLESS proven otherwise.
About right.
I often wonder if some people are secretly pleased when stuff like this happens - it feeds their internal bigotry loops.
I dunno, I remember a powerful quote around the time of the Brussels attacks (IIRC) that went along the lines of, "with all the shit going down in the world, who thinks it's going to be fixed by blowing up a few more innocent people".
the LOGICAL first responce is that its LIKELY to be an Islamic Jihadist inspired terrorst attack UNLESS proven otherwise.
Ask yourself why you posted that.
This is a terrible thing. Let's not tie strings on it, certainly not now.
And deviant, there is a long history of bombing in Britain. This is just the latest chapter. We closed the last chapter through forgiveness and talking. You can't fight terrorism with guns, security checks and hard borders - stop individual acts yes, but long term you need a different solution
This is so true, I've shared this quote elsewhere.
"with all the shit going down in the world, who thinks it's going to be fixed by blowing up a few more innocent people"
This is true too.
And deviant, there is a long history of bombing in Britain. This is just the latest chapter. We closed the last chapter through forgiveness and talking. You can't fight terrorism with guns, security checks and hard borders - stop individual acts yes, but long term you need a different solution
Follow the money, where is the funding behind the ideology. You can't "beat" terrorists with force you have to deal with the ideas.
My friend who posted on Facebook last night wasn't looking for his friend but his teenage daughter, he found her but her friend is missing. 😥
PLEASE STOP NOW ABOUT WHO IS RIGHT ABOUT GUESSING THE CAUSE AND IT'S FAIR TO CLAIM WHO DID IT.
I can guess why he posted that, molgrips. And also why deviant agreed with him. It's because they're not particularly nice, tolerant or understanding people.
I'm hoping my fellow Mancunians manage to be more tolerant over the coming days and weeks.
And don't begin to insinuate I think that way, and/or I have issues with brown people.
Whatever the context, this is just massively ignorant. Hang your head in shame.
These attacks just make things worse for everyone. Innocent people die. The attackers make things worse for their 'cause' (whatever that may be). Ignorant racists just hate even more. You can't apply logic to these events, but they just cause further hatred.
Awful, simply awful.
After over 3000 people were killed in sectarian violence in Northern Ireland, inspired in part by [i]Christian [/i]belief, and often funded by people in the US, we would do well to remember that the main thing about people who do this sort of thing is they are arseholes, pathetic gullible scum, who show no real understanding of their own religion. Hating the religion or reacting like one or two above (and there will be more) just gives pathetic inadequate dickwads more power than they deserve.
Manchester and its people are awesome. I truly love that city - one of the only other cities in the UK I would choose to live in - I'm always amazed by how much time I end up just chatting with strangers whenever I go there - friendly, funny, helpful city. They will rise above this. They will get on with life and be the tolerant, open, tough and compassionate people they've always been. They will go to concerts this weekend. They'll show respect to and solidarity with victims like they've always done.
Whatever the context, this is just massively ignorant. Hang your head in shame."
You need to check out the comment which prompted Wrightyson to clarify his position.
People were relaying reports of an explosion at the venue without pointing a finger at the possible perpetrators.
How can relaying such information be described as bigotry?
Cougar - ModeratorThere's a million possible causes for an explosion, not all of them are down to brown people with beards and rucksacks. It's entirely possible that it was a terrorist attack; equally, it could've been a faulty boiler.
People were relaying reports of an explosion at the venue without pointing a finger at the possible perpetrators.
Why were the perpetrators so vital to the relaying of news at that time? The problem, frankly, is lots of armchair experts are weighing in on subjects either because they like the sounds of their own voices or think its a good time. It's not.
There's plenty of time to talk about who did what and why later. The death toll is slowly climbing and people are still missing loved ones. Now is the time to think about the victims.
there is a long history of bombing in Britain. This is just the latest chapter. We closed the last chapter through forgiveness and talking. You can't fight terrorism with guns, security checks and hard borders - stop individual acts yes, but long term you need a different solution. Much as it may stick, you need to find what you have in common with people and work from there.
This. Very much this.
PLEASE STOP NOW ABOUT WHO IS RIGHT ABOUT GUESSING THE CAUSE AND IT'S FAIR TO CLAIM WHO DID IT.
Last warming.
My colleague and I work in export sales and this morning our phones have been buzzing with messages and calls from concerned agents and customers all over the Middle East and Africa.
The Police and Government are treating it as a terrorist suicide bombing. I appreciate the sentiment amongst some to "not jump to conclusions" but in this day and age that's naive.
The explosion happened in the arena's foyer on Monday night, as people began streaming from the doors at the close of the concert
Greater Manchester Police were called to the scene at 22:33 BST
Police have confirmed children are among the 22 people who were killed
They say 59 people were injured in the blast
The police say there was a single attacker and they died at the scene
The male suicide bomber is thought to have detonated an improvised explosive device
Police are investigating whether he acted alone or was part of a network
Surrounding streets were sealed off. More than 240 calls were made to the emergency services, 60 ambulances attended and more than 400 police officers were deployed
A cordon remains in place around Manchester Arena and Victoria station while forensic work is carried out
All train services to and from the station have been cancelled
Prime Minister Theresa May said police were treating it as "an appalling terrorist attack"
The PM is chairing a meeting of the emergency committee Cobra at 09:00 BST
General election campaigning has been suspended
GMP chief constable Ian Hopkins said the force would treat it as terror "until we have further information"
The injured are being treated at hospitals across Greater Manchester
A hotline has been set up for those concerned about loved ones (Call 0161 856 9400 or 0161 856 9900)
If confirmed to be a terrorist attack, it would be the worst in the UK since 52 people were killed in the London bombings of July 2005
Eyewitnesses reported nuts and bolts strewn around the floor and the smell of explosives
How can relaying such information be described as bigotry?
Who was Anders Breivik, or who was Thomas Mair, you can argue that it was probably Islamic terrorism if you want, but there are plenty of other idiots out there who are willing to kill because they think they are right.
To assume with no evidence, that anyone group is responsible is bigoted.
Listened to some harrowing tales from parents and kids who were caught up in this this morning. Just awful.
Can't fail to be moved by the response from folks in Manchester doing all they can. Perfect response to this sort of terror
There is a point when the denying the obvious just gets in the way of processing these incidents.
Of course it was an Islamist attack - 4 years to the day of the Lee Rigby murder, warnings on Twitter a few hours before from Islamist accounts, the use of an IED, and the police will have the bomber on cctv beforehand - if it were not, you would have heard that by now.
Woke up to this this morning, listened to the reports on the radio in the kitchen, had a little cry. Just awful, it's teenage kids FFS.
Anyway...
there is a long history of bombing in Britain. This is just the latest chapter. We closed the last chapter through forgiveness and talking. You can't fight terrorism with guns, security checks and hard borders - stop individual acts yes, but long term you need a different solution. Much as it may stick, you need to find what you have in common with people and work from there.
Well said sir.
Manchester and its people are awesome. I truly love that city - one of the only other cities in the UK I would choose to live in - I'm always amazed by how much time I end up just chatting with strangers whenever I go there - friendly, funny, helpful city. They will rise above this. They will get on with life and be the tolerant, open, tough and compassionate people they've always been. They will go to concerts this weekend. They'll show respect to and solidarity with victims like they've always done.
Couldn't agree more.
I often wonder if some people are secretly pleased when stuff like this happens - it feeds their internal bigotry loops.
Is it also coincidental that this happened leading into the election, just as there was an attack in Paris and the US shortly before their respective vote.
Thoroughly choked and humbled by Manchester's response too.
I often wonder if some people are secretly pleased when stuff like this happens - it feeds their internal bigotry loops.
+1 unfortunately
And also why deviant agreed with him. It's because they're not particularly nice, tolerant or understanding people.
Yeah, I'm the one letting off bombs at a pop concert.... I'm the 'not particularly nice, tolerant or understanding' person who just killed 20-odd people.....erm, no.
I just want to get on with life, be left alone and not have to read about this crap or get caught up in it one day....if that makes me not nice, not tolerant or not understanding then actually I'll take that, I've been called worse....why should I tolerate terrorism!?
Heaven forbid I should condemn those involved or point out the motive....just keep those heads in the sand chaps.
There is a point when the denying the obvious just gets in the way of processing these incidents.
Do you work for the police? Do you have a vested interest? Or would you be happy to see another Birmingham/Guilford X situation. Oh look your [s]irish[/s] Brown, we need someone [s]irish[/s] Brown to lock up.
point out the motive
Enlighten us. What IS the motive?
They will rise above this. They will get on with life
As a city, yes. Parents who have lost kids though, perhaps not.
I agree with the sentiment and the generality of it, but this is often said and I think that it is not necessarily fair to those who have just had their world ripped apart in the worst possible way
