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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Elle Hunt

#WeAreNotAfraid: Londoners send out message after terror attack

#WeAreNotAfraid hashtag was trending in London after the attack on Westminster.
#WeAreNotAfraid hashtag was trending in London after the attack at Westminster. Photograph: Twitter

Londoners have expressed defiance after the terrorist attack at Westminster, sharing messages of solidarity on social media.

#WeAreNotAfraid was trending in London as users reacted to the deaths of five people, including the attacker, on Wednesday and expressed gratitude and support for the work of emergency services.

Many vowed not to be cowed by terrorism.

Comedian and actor Margaret Cabourn-Smith characterised this tenor of the response, tweeting: “#WeAreNotAfraid Or rather I am; but I’m damned if I’m going to let that stop me doing anything differently.

“I’m a bladdy Londoner.”

“My heart goes out to all the people who went out this morning thinking it was gonna be ‘just another day’,” tweeted one user with a photo of the British Gas advert, “We are Londoners”.

Twitter user @HillyFoz shared a blurry nighttime snap of the London Eye, noting that the city had not been brought to a halt by the attack.

“London’s just going about its business,” she commented. “Pubs and theatres still full. Trains packed. Everyone looks a little sadder but #WeAreNotAfraid.”

Conservative party MP Will Quince echoed this resolve in quoting the UK Parliament’s tweet that confirmed that both the House of Commons and the House of Lords would sit on Thursday at their normal times.

He added: “After a tragic day in Westminster, our democracy continues tomorrow. Terrorism will never defeat us. #WeAreNotAfraid”

Many users shared a London Underground logo modified to bear the slogan “We Are Not Afraid” to demonstrate their defiance in the face of terror.

#LondonStrong was also trending.

The message of solidarity extended across the world, with the Westminster attack occurring one year on from the terror attack in Brussels.

Diego Cusano, an Italian artist, shared a drawing of Westminster Bridge beneath a teardrop: “#London stay strong!”

The Eiffel Tower’s lights were turned off at midnight in tribute to the victims of the attack.

Hen Mazzig, a former humanitarian officer with the Israeli defence force, tweeted an image showing the Tel Aviv city hall lit up as the Union Jack.

Video journalist Rav Vadgama’s message of resolve was on a far smaller scale, and stereotypically British: “No place for terrorism, only tea. #WeAreNotAfraid”

How the Westminster terror attack unfolded
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