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==Attack== |
==Attack== |
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[[File:Drummer Lee Rigby.jpg|thumb|right|Drummer Lee Rigby, victim of the attack]] |
[[File:Drummer Lee Rigby.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Drummer Lee Rigby, victim of the attack]] |
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The attack took place shortly prior to 14.20 (2.20 pm) in Wellington Street, near its junction with John Wilson Street, part of the [[South Circular Road]] (A205) in Woolwich, about {{convert|300|to|400|m}} from the perimeter of the [[Royal Artillery Barracks]] where Rigby was stationed.<ref name=guardian-man-killed-in-deadly-terror-attack-in-london-street /> Rigby was off duty at the time and reportedly wearing a "[[Help for Heroes]]" T-shirt.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.channel4.com/news/machete-attack-soldier-woolwich-london |title=Serving soldier killed in Woolwich street attack – Channel 4 News |publisher=Channel 4}}</ref> He is believed to have been deliberately run down by the assailants in a Vauxhall car,<ref name="guard3">{{cite web|author=Sandra Laville, Shiv Malik and Ben Quinn |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/may/22/woolwich-attack-horror-soldier|title=Woolwich killing: horror on John Wilson Street|work=The Guardian|date=22 May 2013|accessdate=22 May 2013}}</ref> then attacked and killed by two<!--there is video evidence of the perpetrators--> men armed with knives and a meat [[cleaver]] who then attempted to behead him.<ref name='BBC'/><ref name=guardian-man-killed-in-deadly-terror-attack-in-london-street/><ref name=Telegraph24>''The Daily Telegraph'' [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/10073910/Woolwich-attack-terrorist-proclaimed-an-eye-for-an-eye-after-attack.html Woolwich attack], 24 May 2013, (retrieved 24 May 2013)</ref> |
The attack took place shortly prior to 14.20 (2.20 pm) in Wellington Street, near its junction with John Wilson Street, part of the [[South Circular Road]] (A205) in Woolwich, about {{convert|300|to|400|m}} from the perimeter of the [[Royal Artillery Barracks]] where Rigby was stationed.<ref name=guardian-man-killed-in-deadly-terror-attack-in-london-street /> Rigby was off duty at the time and reportedly wearing a "[[Help for Heroes]]" T-shirt.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.channel4.com/news/machete-attack-soldier-woolwich-london |title=Serving soldier killed in Woolwich street attack – Channel 4 News |publisher=Channel 4}}</ref> He is believed to have been deliberately run down by the assailants in a Vauxhall car,<ref name="guard3">{{cite web|author=Sandra Laville, Shiv Malik and Ben Quinn |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/may/22/woolwich-attack-horror-soldier|title=Woolwich killing: horror on John Wilson Street|work=The Guardian|date=22 May 2013|accessdate=22 May 2013}}</ref> then attacked and killed by two<!--there is video evidence of the perpetrators--> men armed with knives and a meat [[cleaver]] who then attempted to behead him.<ref name='BBC'/><ref name=guardian-man-killed-in-deadly-terror-attack-in-london-street/><ref name=Telegraph24>''The Daily Telegraph'' [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/10073910/Woolwich-attack-terrorist-proclaimed-an-eye-for-an-eye-after-attack.html Woolwich attack], 24 May 2013, (retrieved 24 May 2013)</ref> |
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Revision as of 08:21, 25 May 2013
51°29′19″N 0°03′45″E / 51.4885°N 0.06255°E
2013 Woolwich attack | |
---|---|
Location | Woolwich, Royal Borough of Greenwich, London, England, United Kingdom |
Date | 22 May 2013 14:20 BST (UTC+01:00) |
Weapons | Vauxhall Tigra car; knife; cleaver; pistol |
Deaths | 1 (Lee Rigby) |
Injured | 2 (the suspects) |
On 22 May 2013 at approximately 14:20 local time, Drummer Lee Rigby of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers of the British Army was killed by two assailants in an attack which took place while he was off duty and walking in Wellington Street, Woolwich, south east London.[1][2][3]
Rigby was run down by a car[4] before being stabbed and hacked to death by the two men with knives and a meat cleaver.[5] They then dragged his body on to the road and remained at the scene until the police arrived. The assailants told passers-by that they had attacked a soldier to avenge the killing of Muslims by the British military.[6] The two assailants were shot by police officers and taken to separate hospitals, both in serious condition.[6] Both men are British Muslims of Nigerian descent.[7][8]
Politicians, leading members of the Muslim community, and religious leaders condemned the attack.[9]
Victim
The soldier killed in the attack was Lee Rigby, aged 25, Drummer of the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. Rigby, from Middleton, Greater Manchester,[10] had served in Cyprus, Germany,[11] and Afghanistan before becoming a recruiter and assisting with duties in the Tower of London.[1]
Attack
The attack took place shortly prior to 14.20 (2.20 pm) in Wellington Street, near its junction with John Wilson Street, part of the South Circular Road (A205) in Woolwich, about 300 to 400 metres (980 to 1,310 ft) from the perimeter of the Royal Artillery Barracks where Rigby was stationed.[4] Rigby was off duty at the time and reportedly wearing a "Help for Heroes" T-shirt.[12] He is believed to have been deliberately run down by the assailants in a Vauxhall car,[13] then attacked and killed by two men armed with knives and a meat cleaver who then attempted to behead him.[6][4][14]
Immediately after the attack, two women stood over Rigby's body, trying to protect him from further attack.[13] Ingrid Loyau-Kennett was one of the people at the scene. She was a passenger on a passing bus, and seeing what she thought to be a motor accident, disembarked with the intention of rendering first aid. On discovering that Rigby was dead, and that a murder had apparently taken place, she engaged one of the assailants in conversation, asking him what he wanted. She asked the men to hand over their weapons, but they refused.[15]
They reportedly danced over the body, while one of the men asked passengers on a bus to take photographs of him.[13] One of the assailants made a statement about his purported justification for the attack, which was captured on video by a witness at the scene:
"The only reason we have killed this man today is because Muslims are dying daily by British soldiers, and this British soldier is one, is a eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. By Allah, we swear by the Almighty Allah we will never stop fighting you until you leave us alone. So what if we want to live by the Sharia in Muslim lands. Why does that mean you must follow us and chase us and call us extremists and kill us? Rather you lot are extreme. You are the ones. When you drop a bomb, do you think it hits one person or rather your bomb wipes out a whole family. This is the reality. By Allah, if I saw your mother today with a buggy I would help her up the stairs. This is my nature. But we are forced by the Qur'an in Sura at-Tawba [Chapter 9 of the Qur'an], through many, many ayah [verses] throughout the Qur'an that [say] we must fight them as they fight us, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. I apologise that women had to witness this today, but in our land our women have to see the same. You people will never be safe. Remove your governments. They don’t care about you. Do you think David Cameron is gonna get caught in the street when we start busting our guns? Do you think the politicians are going to die? No it's going to be the average guy, like you, and your children. So get rid of them. Tell them to bring our troops back so we can..., so you can all live in peace. Leave our lands and you will live in peace. That's all I have to say. Allah's peace and blessings be upon Muhammad."[16]
The assailants remained at the scene. The Metropolitan Police received a distress call at 14:20. Unarmed police arrived at 14.29, set up a cordon and remained behind it.[17] Armed police arrived at 14:34. The men charged at them, one brandishing a machete and the other a gun. The police fired eight shots, wounding both the men.[13][18] A gun, knives, and a machete were later seized at the scene. Rigby was later pronounced dead.[6]
Suspects
The suspects are Michael Adebolajo, 28, and Michael Adebowale, 22.[19] Both were known to British security services.[20] Both the men have been confirmed as British citizens of Nigerian descent.[21]
Adebolajo, born in Lambeth to a Christian family,[22][23] studied sociology at the University of Greenwich. Adebolajo has a history of involvement in radical Islamist activities.[24] According to radical cleric, Anjem Choudary, he converted from Christianity to Islam in 2003 and had links with the outlawed Islamicist group al-Muhajiroun.[19][25] Abu Nusaybah, a friend of Adelbolajo, in an interview on BBC's Newsnight, stated that Adebolajo had complained of persistent questioning by the British Security Service the MI5 specifically concerning his knowledge of "certain individuals". He also recounted Adebolajo's allegation that MI5 had asked him to work with them which he refused. In the interview, Abu Nusaybah had also recounted Adebolajo's allegations of physical and possible sexual abuse at the hands of Kenyan security forces during a recent trip to that country. [26][27] Abu Nusaybah was arrested at the BBC after his interview.[26]
The second suspect – a 22-year-old Nigerian-born man – Michael Adebowale[28] also attended the University of Greenwich.[29]
Two additional people, a man and a woman, were arrested on 23 May 2013 on suspicion of conspiracy to murder.[25]
Investigation
Investigators said that they were searching six houses: three houses in Greenwich, south London; one house in Romford, east London; another house in north London and a property in Saxilby, Lincolnshire.[30][31]
The Independent Police Complaints Commission said that it would investigate the incident as per normal circumstances. The IPCC investigate any incident in which police discharge a weapon.[32]
Subsequent events
In the wake of the event, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe condemned the attack and called for calm and a "measured response", adding "we have met with community representatives, and extra officers remain on duty there tonight. Across London our officers are in contact with their communities too." Simon Letchford, a Metropolitan Police Commander, later issued a statement that read: "I can understand that this incident will cause community concerns, and I would like to reiterate that we are investigating what has taken place today. ... I am asking people to remain calm, and avoid unnecessary speculation."[32]
The British National Party leader Nick Griffin posted a series of Twitter messages blaming "mass immigration" for the attack and called for a protest rally in Woolwich.[33] After the English Defence League called on its supporters to mobilise,[34] some members staged a protest at Woolwich Arsenal station in which bottles were thrown at police. Individuals were also arrested in two separate incidents at mosques in Essex and Kent.
Speaking in response to the incidents, Julie Siddiqi of the Islamic Society of Britain expressed fears that the killing would be used to create ethnic and community divisions.[35] An additional 1,200 police officers were deployed across London to prevent revenge attacks on Muslim communities.[30] Reports of an increase in anti-Muslim incidents include graffiti on mosques and an attempted arson in Braintree.[36][37]
The Ministry of Defence issued a statement that it was urgently investigating the incident. Immediately following the death, British service members were advised not to wear their uniform in public,[38] although that was later relaxed.[39]
The Home Secretary Theresa May chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Office Briefing Room committee (COBRA)[34] attended by the Defence Secretary Philip Hammond, the Mayor of London Boris Johnson, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, the Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Cressida Dick and other unnamed members of the intelligence agencies.[32] The Prime Minister David Cameron cut short a visit to Paris to chair a second COBRA meeting.[4]
Reactions
Queen Elizabeth II, political leaders and religious leaders variously expressed concern and distress over the incident, and called for calm.[32] The British Prime Minister David Cameron made the following statement:
This country will be absolutely resolute in its stand against extremism and terror. This action was a betrayal of Islam and the Muslim communities that give so much to our country. We will defeat violent extremism by standing together. We will not rest until we know every detail. [The attackers told Ingrid Loyau-Kennett that] they wanted to start a war in London and she replied, "you are going to lose, it is you against many." She speaks for all of us.
Many Muslim leaders have denounced the attack. The Prime Minister's statement was echoed by Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra, with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, co-chair of the Christian Muslim Forum, in a joint statement.[14] The Muslim Council of Britain said the attack "has no basis in Islam and we condemn this unreservedly".[6] The head of the Ramadhan Foundation, Mohammed Shafiq, also condemned the attack. The director of Faith Matters and co-ordinator of the government-backed anti-Islamophobic project "Tell MAMA" stated: "We, as the Muslim community, will work against anyone who promotes such hatred."[32]
British Islamist Anjem Choudary refused to condemn the attack, stating that the assailant "... blamed Cameron and he blamed the army and the authorities and he said that British public should do something about it because they're not doing anything in their names. From the statements that he's made himself, it's clear that that was being targeted. The cause is clear – it's the British foreign policy."[40] On BBC's Newsnight, when Choudary was questioned about his role in the radicalisation of Michael Adebolajo, he denied any responsibility, and talked about such radicalisation as a means to an end.[41] Shams Adduha Muhammad, the Imam and Director of Ibrahim College, challenged Choudary's views and attitude towards the killing, saying that none of the very many Muslims that he knew shared those opinions. He said Choudhary failed to understand the holist nature of Islam. He also said that it was possible to condemn the attack while seeking to change government policies by appropriate political means.[41]
Asghar Bukhari of the UK Muslim Public Affairs Committee said that both the British Government and the Muslim community were at fault in dealing with "extremism". He criticised the British Government for being involved in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan while "completely denying that it has anything to do with the political situation around the Muslim world", and said that Muslim organisations "have failed their own community by not teaching these young, angry men how to get a democratic change to this policy that's ruining so many lives". He described Muslim leaders as unwilling to bring about change, focussing on points of theology, rather than the practical education of young people in ways to achieve political change.[42]
Baroness Neville-Jones, a former security minister and chairman of the British Joint Intelligence Committee, and Colonel Richard Kemp, a former Army commander, suggested blame could be put on internet hate preaching. Neville-Jones told the BBC Radio 4's Today programme that "the inspiration that comes from internet hate preaching and jihadist rhetoric... is a very, very serious problem now."[43]
British MP George Galloway stated that the attacks were "indefensible". He criticised British support for the Syrian rebels, stating that similar attacks are likely to occur "as long as we are, as a country, involved in spreading murder and mayhem across the Muslim world."[44][45][46]
See also
- 7 July 2005 London bombings
- 21 July 2005 London bombings
- 2007 plot to behead a British Muslim soldier
- 2008 Exeter attempted bombing
- List of terrorist incidents in London
References
- ^ a b "Woolwich attack: Lee Rigby named as victim". London: BBC News. 23 May 2013. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
- ^ "Woolwich attack: Killed man 'was soldier'". BBC News. 23 May 2013. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
- ^ "Woolwich attack victim confirmed as serving soldier". Ministry of Defence, Prime Ministers Office, Home Office. 23 May 2013. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
- ^ a b c d Dodd, Vikram (22 May 2013). "Man killed in deadly terror attack in London street". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
- ^ "Mum talked down Woolwich terrorists who told her: 'We want to start a war in London tonight'". Retrieved 23 May 2013.
- ^ a b c d e "Woolwich machete attack leaves man dead". BBC News. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
- ^ Woolwich attack: 'British suspects with Nigerian connections' to be questioned by anti-terror police from hospital beds, Mirror, 23 May 2013
- ^ Woolwich Suspects 'Known To Security Services', Sky, 23 May 2013
- ^ Smith-Spark, Laura (24 May 2013). "UK Muslim groups condemn London slaying, urge leaders to act". CNN. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
- ^ Thompson, Dan (23 May 2013). "Woolwich soldier murder victim named as Lee Rigby from Middleton". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
- ^ Shaviv, Miriam. "UK military calls attack victim a model soldier". The Times of Israel.
- ^ "Serving soldier killed in Woolwich street attack – Channel 4 News". Channel 4.
- ^ a b c d Sandra Laville, Shiv Malik and Ben Quinn (22 May 2013). "Woolwich killing: horror on John Wilson Street". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
- ^ a b The Daily Telegraph Woolwich attack, 24 May 2013, (retrieved 24 May 2013)
- ^ Duffin, Claire (22 May 2013). citations%5d%5d "Mum talked down Woolwich terrorists who told her: 'We want to start a war in London tonight'". The Daily Telegraph.
{{cite news}}
: Check|url=
value (help) - ^ Durie, Mark (23 May 2013). "The Woolwich Killing: 'We must fight them as they fight us.'". Retrieved 23 May 2013.
- ^ "Woolwich attack will only make us stronger, says Cameron". The Guardian
- ^ "Woolwich aftermath" (Document). UK: BBCTemplate:Inconsistent citations. 24 May 2013.
{{cite document}}
: Unknown parameter|url=
ignored (help) - ^ a b The Guardian, Woolich attack, 23-05-3013, (retrieved 25 May 2013)
- ^ "Woolwich attack: Suspects known to security services". BBC News. 23 May 2013. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
- ^ Cassell Bryan-Low (24 May 2013). "Second Suspect in London Attack Named". Wall Street Journal.
- ^ "Woolwich Terror Murder Suspect Named". BSkyB. 23 May 2013. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
- ^ "Woolwich murder: who are the suspects?". BBC. 24 May 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
- ^ Tom Whitehead, David Barrett and Steven Swinford (23 May 2013). "Woolwich attack: why was suspect Michael Adebolajo free to kill?". The Telegraph.
- ^ a b Sengupta, Kim (23 May 2013). "Man and woman arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder victim of Woolwich machete attack, named as Drummer Lee Rigby". The Independent. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
- ^ a b Urquhart, Conal; Dodd, Vikram (25 May 2013). "Woolwich suspect's friend arrested after appearing on Newsnight". The Guardian.
- ^ BBC, Newsnight, 25 May 2013, (retrieved 25 May 2013)
- ^ "Cameron calls for probe on word terrorists were known to UK authorities prior to attack". Fox news. 24 May 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
- ^ Rob Williams (24 May 2013). "Woolwich soldier killing suspects Michael Adebowale and Michael Adebolajo 'attended Greenwich University together'". The Independent. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
- ^ a b "UK names soldier murdered in London". Al Jazeera. 4 October 2011.
- ^ "Woolwich murder: Lincolnshire arrest over social media posts". BBC News. 24 May 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
- ^ a b c d e Paul Owen and Conal Urquhart (22 May 2013). "Woolwich attack: government convenes emergency meeting". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
- ^ Jones, Sam; Quinn, Ben; Urquhart, Conal. "Woolwich attack prompts fears of backlash against British Muslims". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
- ^ a b "'Soldier' hacked to death in London". Al Jazeera. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
- ^ Lydall, Ross. "Woolwich killing: plea for calm as mosques are targeted and English Defence League clash with police". Evening Standard. London. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
- ^ Catherine Mayer (24 May 2013). "Terror in London Sparks Tensions, Upsurge in Islamophobic Attacks". Time.
- ^ Patrick Sawer (24 May 2013). "Attacks on Muslims rise in wake of Woolwich killing". Telegraph.
- ^ Ben Farmer (24 May 2013). "Woolwich attack: troops advised not to wear uniform outside bases". The Telegraph.
- ^ Wyatt, Caroline (1 January 1970). "Woolwich attack will not stop soldiers wearing uniforms". BBC.
- ^ Holden, Michael (17 May 2013). "Head of radical Islamist group who knew London knifeman blames UK foreign policy". Reuters.
- ^ a b BBC "Anjem Choudary refuses to 'abhor' Woolwich attack", 24 May 2013 (retrieved 24 May 2013)
- ^ "UK Muslim groups condemn London slaying, urge leaders to act". CNN. 23 May 2013.
- ^ Dominiczak, Peter. "Woolwich attack: We must tackle hate preaching over the internet, security experts say". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
- ^ "George Galloway: Woolwich Beheading Attack will be Repeated, EDL are 'Moral Dwarves'". IBT. 23 May 2013.
- ^ Fisher, Max (22 May 2013). British politician compares London machete attack to U.K. policy in Syria. The Washington Post.
- ^ ‘We built Frankenstein monsters, spawned millions of radicalized Muslims’ – MP George Galloway, Russia Today, 24 May 2013.