British PM Voices Resolve to Counter Terrorism as UK Marks London Bridge Attack Anniversary

  • 6/3/2018
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Prime Minister Theresa May expressed on Sunday Britains resolve to "stand firm" against terrorism, saying it is stronger than ever. She made her remarks as the country marks a year since a deadly vehicle-and-knife attack on London Bridge. Eight people were killed and almost 50 injured when three attackers ran down pedestrians on the bridge, then stabbed people in nearby Borough Market on a spring evening. It came two weeks after a bombing at a concert in Manchester Arena killed 22 people. Survivors, politicians and emergency workers are attending a service Sunday at Southwark Cathedral near London Bridge. The nation will hold a minute of silence at 4:30 p.m. May paid tribute to the bravery of first responders and others, including Ignacio Echeverria, a Spanish man who tackled attackers with his skateboard and died in the attack. "Today we remember those who died and the many more who were injured, and also pay tribute to the bravery of our emergency services and those who intervened or came to the aid of others," May added. She branded the June 3 attack "a cowardly attempt to strike at the heart of our freedoms by deliberately targeting people enjoying their Saturday night with friends and family" and noted that seven of the victims were foreign nationals. "This is a reflection of our great cosmopolitan capital, whose energy and values brings together people from across the world, and a tragic reminder that the threat from terrorism transcends borders and impacts us all," she said. On Sunday morning Home Secretary Sajid Javid announced that a new review of counter-terrorism legislation in Britain would be launched on Monday -- including a provision to recruit up to 2,000 extra security officers in Britains intelligence services. "One of the other announcements Ill be making tomorrow is that MI5 will be sharing much more of its information with other organizations," he said on the BBCs Andrew Marr show. "Not just with counter terrorism police but neighborhood police, with local government... to make sure that there is a much higher chance of finding some of these extremists and disrupting plots a lot earlier on." Among those visiting the cathedral for the service on the south bank of the Thames, set to include a procession to the bridge, will be Frenchwoman Christine Delcros, 46. She was seriously injured in the vehicle-ramming attack whilst her partner Xavier Thomas, 45, was killed, with his body later recovered from the River Thames. "On the psychological level, the wounds are invisible, but they are the most serious," she told AFP in an interview this week. "I remain traumatized by the loss of the love of my life, in circumstances beyond my comprehension." On Friday PC Wayne Marques, who took on the three attackers solo with his baton and was stabbed in the head, revealed he was planning to return to work next month after a year of rehabilitation. "Im just basically trying to get as much of me back as possible," he said in a video released by the British Transport Police. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, who will attend the ceremony, said the city would honor the victims "through our actions and standing united against terrorism and in hope for the future". "The cowardly terrorists who commit these horrific acts do so to try to divide us, to fuel fear and to change how we treat one another. Im proud of the way we have responded: standing united in defiance and staying true to our values and way of life," he said in a statement. The attackers were shot dead outside Borough Market eight minutes after the first emergency call was made. The ISIS terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attack.

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