Britain remembers 7/7 bombings amid growing terrorism threat
July 7, 2015
British Prime Minister David Cameron (pictured right) led the memorial service on Tuesday at Hyde Park in honor of the 7/7 victims. He was joined by victims' relatives and senior British politicians in a somber ceremony, which started at 8:50 am (0750 GMT), the time when the first of four bombs was detonated on London's transport system on July 7, 2005, by homegrown Islamists.
The anniversary comes a week after an "Islamic State" (IS) jihadist killed scores of Western tourists at a resort hotel in the Tunisian city of Sousse. Thirty Britons were among the 38 people who died in the deadly attack.
"Today the country comes together to remember the victims of one the deadliest terrorist atrocities on mainland Britain," Cameron said before opening the 7/7 memorial.
The British PM added that the attack in Tunisia was a reminder that "the threat from terrorism continues to be as real as it is deadly."
"We will keep on doing all that we can to keep the British public safe, protecting the vulnerable young minds from others' extremist beliefs and promoting the shared values of tolerance, love and respect that make Britain so great," the Conservative prime minister said.
Another service will be led by Prince William at Hyde Park later today.
Threat of homegrown terrorism
Inspired by al Qaeda, four young British Muslims travelled down to London in the early hours on July 7, 2015, and exploded the homemade bombs that they were carrying in their rucksacks. Over 700 people were wounded in the attacks.
Ten years on, Britain is facing an immense challenge in the form of Islamic radicalization of some sections of its society, as hundreds of its Muslim citizens have reportedly travelled to the Middle East to join the ranks of IS. The country's intelligence agencies are keeping a close eye on those who have returned from countries like Syria and Iraq, fearing a repeat of 7/7. Britain is currently on its second highest terror alert.
But Andrew Parker, head of Britain's domestic spy agency MI5, says only a "tiny fraction of the population" posed a threat.
"But the continuing fact that some people, born in the UK, with all the opportunities and freedoms that modern Britain offers, can nonetheless make those sorts of warped choices presents a serious societal and security challenge," Parker said in a rare public statement.
Walking together
#WalkTogether is trending on social media to honor the 7/7 victims as commuters post their pictures walking to work.
Esther Hyman, whose sister was killed in the bus attack at Tavistock Square, lamented that many people had forgotten the attacks.
"The events of 7/7 do seem to have slipped out of public consciousness," Hyman told the Reuters news agency. "It is worth remembering an event like 7/7 and learning lessons from it so that it didn't happen in vain," she added.
shs/jil (Reuters, AFP, dpa)