London bombings
Things seem to be quietening down in London, as I write at 1.45pm. There’s a decent liveblog over at europhobia for up-to-date news; the BBC notes that bloggers across London are providing eyewitness accounts. With mobile networks and landlines down, the net has been the way that everyone’s staying in touch; I’ve been able to ascertain that people I know in London, like our firm’s London office, Tim, Tom and Lynne , Dean , and Richard are all OK within minutes of asking. If I had relatives in London and didn’t have the net I’d be pretty frantic by now. Rumours are still flying thick and fast, but most of them seem to be unfounded, and it would appear that no more attacks or events have happened since about 11 this morning. The FTSE’s going mad, but again unfoundedly, and people are calling on the traders to calm down a bit. The Wikipaedia has also risen to the challenge, as a good summary of events within minutes of them happening. Soon things are likely to switch from a hunger for news to an outpouring of analysis, which is likely to include the statement from Al Qaeda claiming responsibility, and whether it’s legit. Tony Blair has left the G8 summit to fly to London, so we may hear the word from the top at some point. It’s reassuring to see the lack of hysteria; although London’s seriously hectic by all accounts, it’s the hecticness of an extremely busy city, not the hecticness of mindless panic.
Hope everyone’s OK.
All in all it appears to have been handled in a very ‘British’ manner, which actually makes me surprisingly proud.
2 hours later
Regarding the statement from “Al Qaeda”: it’s not like in the old days of the IRA, when everyone knew who the spokespeople were and what the codewords were. Also, there isn’t a single organisation with the name “Al Qaeda”: there are hundreds of disparate associations between people and groups that sometimes take that name. It’s frustrating that the BBC and govt don’t acknowledge that half the problem we face is that there isn’t a single organisation that can be fought, or taken out.
2 hours later
When I was walking to Finsbury Park from Bloomsbury, it felt a lot more like a Tube strike day, except more good natured in many ways. I hope, possibly because we do have some memories of the IRA and are not totally new to this, that we react rather more soberly than after the Trade Center bombings. The WAGN train service to Bedfordshire was fantastic and efficient: they had an emergency half-hourly timetable running in no time.
7 hours later
Re: The FTSE.
I was watching the events unfold on News 24, and they kept going over to Jeff Randall at the London Stock Exchange, who was waxing lyrical about how “resilient” the traders were being. I was so pissed off I was yelling at the TV.
People are dead. The BMA building is pock-marked with blood (in possibly the most horrifying image I’ve seen these past 2 days that didn’t involve dead bodies). And the BBC feels its important to go regularly to see how traders are doing, despite the fact that they’re stupidly rich and in no physical danger.
I also have to agree with the previous commentors. Its amazing how calm people are being about this. One woman walked out of the tube covered in blood and seemed to be shrugging it off. Any potential terrorists seeing this must be so devastated that their attacks have left little, if any damage. Forget the “War on Terror“, this is the real victory for non-extremists.
32 hours later
Just to clarify my last post. When I said “little, if any damage“, I meant long term damage to the human condition, rather than the horrific damage it has done in taking human life.
32 hours later
I don’t understand why they’re not yet naming any of the dead – surely some are not as hard to identify as others? I also don’t understand the relationship between 25 missing and 49 dead – the 25 are part of the 49? Who the hell are the other 24? I appreciate it’d be wrong to sensationalise it, but they’re being vague to the point of ridiculousness.
And yeah, I feel very proud to be a Londoner right now!
3 days later
IM FROM NOTTINGHAM,AND I DONT THINK ANYWHERE IS SAFE,WHEREVER ,THEY, ARE ,THERE WILL STILL BE ATTACKS,LONDON HAS HELD ITS HEAD HIGH WITH PRIDE AND PURE RESILIANCE TO TERRORISM,ALL OUR THAUGHTS ARE OTHER LONDONERS ,AS WELL AS THOSE WHO HAVE LOST LOVED ONES,,PEACE…
8 days later