“We were amateurs at war,
Strangers to suffering.”
-Mars, Sleeping at Last
Terrorism; the very word instills and insinuates sheer terror. Terrorism acts to inspire fear and chaos, throwing whole cities, even countries, into pandemonium. By attacking the innocent, who are unsuspecting, terrorists can achieve the effect of reaching many people with the news and shock of their attack.
On the afternoon of Wednesday 22 March, less than one week ago, 4 people were killed and 50 injured outside Parliament in London. Scotland Yard formally identified Khalid Masood as the person responsible for the deliberate terrorist attack. Police said they "believe that Masood acted alone”. Though Khalid Masood has been involved in criminal activity, he had never before committed an offense of terrorism. He was known as Adrian Ajao before converting to Islam. Though police currently deny any direct link to the radical extremist group ISIS, they believe he was “inspired by terrorist propaganda”.
On the afternoon of the assault, Masood drove a grey Hyundai across the Westminster Bridge towards the Houses of Parliament. He crashed into surrounding gates outside the Houses of Parliament, killing 3 pedestrians in the area and injuring 50 others. The victims of the attack are recognised as Leslie Rhodes, Kurt Cochran, and Aysha Frade.
Masood ran from his car and entered through the gate into New Palace Yard armed with two large knives. Using the aforementioned weapons, Masood stabbed a police officer, PC Keith Palmer, multiple times, causing his death. The attacker was then shot by police. Despite the paramedic’s attempts to save Masood and PC Palmer, both died from sustained injuries.
Theresa May, UK prime minister, spoke a day later at the House of Commons on March 23. The Prime Minister addressed members of Parliament stating that they "will meet as normal, we will come together as normal, and Londoners and others from around the world who have come here to visit this great city will get up and go about their days as normal". Theresa May also confirmed that arrests had been made in the relation to the incident.
A series of tributes have taken place over the course of the week to commemorate the lives lost during the attack. On March 23, Officers stood outside of Scotland Yard as well as Members of the House of Parliament within the Palace of Westminster to observe a minute of silence at 9:33 AM. Similar events were held in Leicester, Birmingham, Manchester, and Leeds.
In these times of unrest and uncertainty, terrorists conspire to inflict pain and fear and suffering. However, there is an unseen consequence of terrorism… Hope. People band together, bringing much needed light to issues that are shrouded in darkness. After the attacks in Paris, November 2015, social media exploded; With support, with awareness, with love. All we can do in the face of terrorism is band together as a community to build love from hate.
Natasha Jarrett, Orleans Park School
