French schoolchildren were injured. May: Parliament will meet as usual

The shooting incident, which injured at least 20 people, occurred in London on March 22.

What happened

According to media reports, a car drove onto the sidewalk on Westminster Bridge, where it hit several people.

After this, the car drove to parliament, where it was stopped by a policeman. The driver got out of the car and stabbed the law enforcement officer, after which he was shot by another police officer. London police confirmed that the attack was carried out by one person.

According to Scotland Yard, four people died as a result of their injuries, one of them a policeman. Two more police officers were wounded, as well as three French lyceum students. One of the women hit by the car fell into the Thames, seriously injured but alive. In addition, as media reported, five tourists from South Korea.

London resident James Sherratt shared his impressions of what was happening with Izvestia.

“The attack did not appear to be well organized, unlike the attacks in Brussels a year ago. Nevertheless, the sirens of numerous police cars can be heard on the streets. Due to the attack by the attacker's car, about ten people were injured, as well as one policeman. I think our Muslim mayor Sadiq has made the city invulnerable to organized attacks by ISIS (a terrorist group banned in Russia), although they want to sow confusion among the people. I think it was most likely some crazy lone driver. Although the police consider it a terrorist attack. My colleagues also believe that they were some kind of “crazy people,” says Sherratt.

Due to the incident in central London, several streets and the Westminster tube station are closed. Sappers are working at the scene. Police are asking residents to avoid traveling to the area.

All meetings of the British Parliament were suspended, exits from the building were blocked, and MPs and staff were not allowed to leave for several hours.

British Prime Minister Theresa May was in Parliament at the time of the attack and was “quickly taken to safety.”

London police in an official statement described the incident as a “terrorist incident.”

Rostourism does not yet have data on whether Russians could be among the victims. Organized groups there are not many in the British capital now. The Russian Foreign Ministry called on fellow citizens in London to be vigilant and avoid London attractions and crowds. According to Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Russia will be in contact with the UK in connection with the incident.

The Russian Embassy in the UK has opened hotlines where Russians can report any important information about incidents in London or submit a request for the whereabouts of their acquaintances.

Reaction of experts in Russia

According to the ex-director of the FSB, State Duma deputy Nikolai Kovalev, the attack on London was made possible due to the controversial work of the British authorities; to this we can also add the manifestation of the problem of Middle Eastern refugees in Europe.

“Today, no country is 100% protected from terrorist attacks. Russia has repeatedly advocated the creation of a united international anti-terrorist front. However, Great Britain, including its Western partners, refused this. This greatly simplifies the tasks of the terrorists themselves, because in some countries they are called freedom fighters, in others “armed opposition,” and therefore they can safely function anywhere,” Kovalev told Izvestia. “To defeat international terrorism, it is necessary to start by unifying the definition of terrorism as such,” he added.

A repetition of the London events in Russia is unlikely, the Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Defense is sure Vladimir Shamanov. According to him, our country has created efficient system of a preventive and preventative nature - this is the result of the lessons learned in modern Russia.

“Most likely this is an attack by the terrorist organization ISIS. As the president has repeatedly noted, about 4 thousand immigrants from countries are fighting in the ranks of this group former USSR, which to a certain extent worries the security authorities. However, despite this, our actions in Syria are proactive and prevent the terrorist threat in the country,” added Shamanov.

Advisor to the Director of the Russian Guard Alexander Khinshtein noted that it is now premature to draw any conclusions about what happened in London.

“Russian special services constantly monitor and study all terrorist acts occurring outside the territory of our country. In particular, domestic intelligence services made certain conclusions when studying the terrorist attacks in France. That is why on the territory of Russia what happened in London is unlikely, since in the Russian Federation public order And public events are carried out under the close attention of specialists from both the Russian National Guard and the Ministry of Internal Affairs,” Khinshtein told Izvestia.

FSB reserve colonel, president of the Association of Veterans of the Alpha anti-terror unit Sergey Goncharov told Izvestia that the terrorists who organized the attacks in London decided to “walk” through all major European capitals. According to the expert, the terrorist attacks in Paris, Brussels, Berlin, and now in London have the same organizers.

“What happened in the UK is an act of intimidation. The terrorists did not choose the time and place by chance. There are always a lot of people and tourists near the parliament building. Terrorists, unfortunately, achieve their goals, and not a single intelligence service European countries unable to resist them. Until all the countries of the world fighting terrorists unite, terrorist attacks in the EU will continue,” Goncharov said.

Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Security Committee Anatoly Vyborny does not rule out that the incident in London is related to the decisions taken by parliament. In Russia, he said, this is unlikely.

Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on international affairs Konstantin Kosachev believes that it was no coincidence that the emergency occurred on the anniversary of the terrorist attacks in Brussels.

“Whoever was behind the two acts of violence at the British Parliament - organized terrorists or mentally ill idiots, it is impossible to escape the feeling that all of these are links of one chain, in the initial link of which is the West's smug confidence in its own monopoly on truth, and in the last link - lack of understanding of the depth of the current crisis of multiculturalism in Europe,” Kosachev told reporters.

The head of the international committee confirmed Russia’s readiness for maximum active interaction with the UK and other NATO countries in the fight against new challenges and threats. “No one can cope individually and alone,” Kosachev added.

“The fact that the terrorist attack occurred not in hot spots, but in the center of Europe, near the parliament building, indicates that the situation is very serious. Terrorists demonstrate their strength that they can shoot people wherever they want. It’s difficult to say yet, but judging by the handwriting and the audacity of committing the crime, it looks like ISIS. Moreover, now is the anniversary of the terrorist attack in Belgium,” the head of the State Duma Security Committee told Izvestia Vasily Piskarev.

“Russia has proposed so many times to unite in the fight against terrorism, but London still believes that the threat comes from us. It's time to change our position and start fighting the real threat. If they contact us, Russia will assist in the investigation, and we are ready to help at the parliamentary level - we have very serious legislation in this area,” the parliamentarian emphasized.

Exactly a year ago, on March 22, 2016, explosions occurred at the Brussels airport and metro, for which the Islamic State organization, banned in Russia, claimed responsibility. The death toll in the Belgian capital numbered in the dozens, and the wounded in the hundreds.

Events could have developed as follows: a car moving along Westminster Bridge drove onto the sidewalk, where it hit more than a dozen pedestrians, after which the car crashed into a fence near the Houses of Parliament. The man in the car, armed, according to preliminary data, with a knife, headed towards the entrance to the building, where he was shot dead by the police.

According to eyewitnesses, after the collision, many victims were left lying on the road; several pedestrians were thrown from the bridge into the river by the impact. At least 20 victims needed medical help, some of them are in “catastrophic” condition. According to Scotland Yard, by Thursday morning at least 5 people had died and more than 40 were injured.

It is also reported that before being shot by the police, the attacker managed to seriously wound one of the police with a knife. The fate of the wounded policeman was not officially reported, but in addition to the body of the alleged criminal, another body remained lying near the parliament building, covered with a red blanket. According to the BBC, the policeman who was stabbed died.

The meeting of the House of Commons of the British Parliament was suspended immediately after the incident. Access to the building and surrounding areas was blocked. British Prime Minister Theresa May was not injured.

Eyewitnesses describe the perpetrator as a middle-aged man of Asian appearance. Scotland Yard confirmed that the attacker acted alone.

London police are treating the incident as a terrorist attack until proven otherwise. This was reported on the official website of the department. At a press briefing on Wednesday evening, police representatives said that a full-fledged counter-terrorism operation had been launched in the city.

Residents are asked to avoid the following areas of the city: Parliament Square, Whitehall, Westminster Bridge, Lambeth Bridge, Victoria Street to the junction with Victoria Broadway and Queen Victoria Embankment to Embankment tube station.

The terrorist attack occurred exactly one year after the terrorist attacks that occurred in Brussels on March 22, 2016. Then explosions occurred at the Brussels airport and the Brussels metro at the Malbeek station. The terrorist organization "Islamic State", banned in the Russian Federation, took responsibility for last year's terrorist attack.

The world is mourning

Former British Prime Minister David Cameron expressed condolences on his Twitter page to the families and friends of the dead and wounded. “The people who try to attack our democracy with such barbaric methods will never win,” he wrote.

My thoughts with the families of those injured & killed. Those seeking to attack our democracy with these barbarous methods will never win.

— David Cameron (@David_Cameron) March 22, 2017

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, quoted by the press service of the German government, said she was shocked by what happened. “Although the exact reasons for what happened have not yet been fully investigated, I confirm on behalf of Germany and its citizens: in the fight against all forms of terrorism, we stand firmly and resolutely with the UK,” Merkel said.

The head of the European Commission expressed solidarity with the victims of the attack in London and said that it was difficult for him to express his feelings in connection with the attack, which occurred on the anniversary of the terrorist attacks in Brussels.

"I do not have reliable information so that I can speak more clearly and specifically about what happened, but it seems that this is a terrorist attack, but even if not, it will not change the situation of the victims. Our thoughts are with the victims, monitoring the situation every minute." , as RIA Novosti writes, Jean-Claude Juncker told reporters.

The US State Department condemned the London terrorist attack and expressed condolences to the victims and relatives of the victims. The agency's chief, Rex Tillerson, said that no matter who carried out "this terrible attack" - people with mental disabilities or terrorists - the victims would not know the difference.

Estonian Foreign Minister Sven Mikser also expressed his condolences. "I condemn the cowardly attack in London today. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families, and with all of the UK's allies," he wrote on Twitter.

Strongly condemn the cowardly terror attack in London today. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families and all our UK allies.

— Sven Mikser (@svenmikser) March 22, 2017

The Russian Foreign Ministry joined the condolences of the world community. This was stated on air Russian TV channel"Russia-24" official representative of the department Maria Zakharova.

"We do not and never will divide terrorism along any lines. We identify it as a clear evil that must be confronted collectively. And at this moment, as always, our hearts are with the British people and we share their pain." - she said.

Europe is drowning in blood

The London terrorist attack is the latest in a series of extremist attacks that have gripped Europe in last couple years. In 2017, it became the third major terrorist attack.

On the morning of February 3 in Paris, an unknown person with two machetes in his hands, dressed in a black T-shirt with a skull, shouting “Allahu Akbar”, attacked a military patrol maintaining order near the Louvre as part of the Sentinelle special operation. In response, the servicemen opened fire on the attacker. He was seriously wounded in the stomach and was hospitalized.

2016 was a truly bloody year in terms of terrorist attacks for Europe. So, on December 19, a truck driven by a young Tunisian rammed into a fair in the center of Berlin, killing 12 people and 48 were hospitalized.

On the evening of July 14, a truck driver rammed into a crowd of people who had gathered on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, France, to watch the Bastille Day fireworks display. 84 people became victims of the attack.

In 2015, on the evening of November 13, a series of terrorist attacks occurred in Paris. Unidentified people opened fire in one of the restaurants in the 10th arrondissement of the French capital; three explosions were heard in the immediate vicinity of the Stade de France stadium, where the match between the French and German football teams was taking place, which was attended by French President Francois Hollande. In addition, unknown persons took hostages at a rock concert at the Bataclan Theater. 129 people died.

On January 7, 2015, in France, two attackers broke into a building in the 11th arrondissement of Paris, where the editorial office of a satirical magazine is located. Charlie Hebdo, and opened fire on the people who were there. The attackers managed to escape from the scene in a car, knocking down a pedestrian. 12 people became victims of the attack.

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It is noteworthy that Ezziddin had already been sentenced to 4.5 years for terrorism-related crimes. To be more precise, the court sentenced him to both 2.5 years for collecting funds for terrorists and 4.5 years for inciting terrorism, which he was involved in abroad. The terms were combined, the verdict was announced in 2008. He was released in May next year on appeal, but was soon returned to prison because he violated the conditions of his release. In general, Ezziddin, of course, is a criminal, but, it seems, not the one who is guilty of the terrorist attack that happened yesterday in London. Who can really be behind these attacks - read in our final material. Gazeta.Ru is finishing its online broadcast, thanks to everyone who was with us.

What a twist! Abu Ezziddin has been mistakenly named as the perpetrator of the terrorist attack in London, reports Daily Mail. According to media reports, his alibi is ironclad - the man is serving time in prison. This was confirmed by Ezziddin's brother, his lawyer and some high-ranking secret sources. He was sentenced in January 2016 to two years for breaking UK anti-terrorism laws and leaving the country illegally. To do this, Ezziddin hid in the back of a freight train traveling through Dover to Romania in November 2015. However, when the train passed through Hungary, Ezziddin was discovered and deported back to Britain, where he was sentenced to imprisonment.

The London Ambulance Service has given an update on the condition of those injured in the series of attacks. According to the head of the service, Pauline Cranmer, 12 people are in critical condition. in serious condition. “We treated 12 seriously injured patients who were taken to hospital. Eight patients with less severe injuries were also treated on site. Three people, unfortunately, died on the spot,” she said. Earlier it was reported that five tourists from South Korea and three schoolchildren from France were injured in an attack in central London.

Social networks are perplexed as to how such a colorful character, who was repeatedly seen in extremist calls and called for radical actions through British media loyal to the Muslim community, was not under the supervision of security forces.

It is also reported that Abu Ezziddin actively preached, spoke at Muslim rallies and took a radical position. In particular, there are videos in which British journalists interview him and he openly approves of terrorism, and also calls his opponents and British politicians “kafirs,” that is, infidels.

The Independent, meanwhile, reports the first plausible information about the terrorist, who was wounded by police, hospitalized and died. According to press reports, this is British citizen Trevor Brooks, also known as Abu Ezziddin. He was reportedly born in London to Jamaican parents. His parents are Christians, but he allegedly converted to Islam at the age of 17 and changed his name to Abu Ezziddin.

According to British media reports, as a result of the terrorist attack, this moment, four people died: a policeman wounded with a knife, one of the attackers, and two passers-by hit by a car.

US President Donald Trump discussed the series of attacks in London by telephone with the British Prime Minister. However, White House spokesman Sean Spicer did not specify what exactly Trump said. It is known that the state will provide maximum assistance and support to Great Britain in the investigation of the terrorist attack. At the same time, in the United States itself, security measures in connection with the London attacks have not been strengthened.

Interim results on the dead and wounded have been summed up. A police officer who was stabbed in a terrorist attack outside the British Parliament in central London has died. The total death toll is four people, including the terrorist attacker, the policeman he stabbed to death, and two pedestrians who were run over by a car.

In total, at least 20 people were injured in a series of attacks in the center of the British capital, including three police officers. Also among the wounded were three French schoolchildren from Brittany. All three are studying at the lyceum, they are 15-16 years old. According to preliminary data, they were injured as a result of a car collision.

A minute of branded English (black) humor. “Shocking news from London, but I can’t help but laugh at the sight of a man storming the fence second,” this fragment is distributed with approximately these captions.

Meanwhile, new details of the terrorist attack have emerged. Daily Mail parliamentarian Quentin Letts said he saw a man in black enter the British Parliament, attack a police officer and be shot dead.

“I saw a strongly built man dressed in black enter New Palace Yard, next to Big Ben. He had in his hand what looked like a stick; he was being chased by two policemen in yellow vests. Then one of the policemen fell and we saw a man in black allegedly stabbing him,” the journalist said.

According to him, after that the man in black ran about 15 meters further to the entrance to the House of Commons building. “As he ran towards the entrance, two men in civilian clothes shouted something like a warning to him, he ignored it, after which he was shot two or three times and he fell,” said an eyewitness.

Situation at the site of the terrorist attack in central London

According to preliminary information, the Russians were not injured during the terrorist attacks (and the London police qualified the attacks as a terrorist attack). The Russian Embassy in Great Britain has opened " hotline" For Russian citizens. The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, also called on Russians in London to “be vigilant and follow the official messages that will be published by both official representatives of Great Britain and the Russian foreign establishment.”

In London, if not a state of siege, then at least a state of increased danger has been declared. The police urge citizens to avoid being in Parliament Square and other places. British Prime Minister Theresa May will hold a meeting of the emergency committee, police patrols have been stepped up in the city, and law enforcement agencies have launched a “full-scale counter-terrorism investigation following a series of incidents outside the British Parliament in London,” the Associated Press reports.

One of the victims was pulled from the River Thames, she suffered serious injuries, but is alive. According to Reuters, citing the Port of London Authority, “a woman was pulled from the water near Westminster Bridge. IN currently she is receiving medical care.” He added that the river is closed to normal vessels.

In total, three police officers were injured as a result of the terrorist attack in London, security officials say

British Prime Minister Theresa May will hold a meeting of the COBRA emergency committee on Wednesday, the BBC reports. By the way, at the time of the attack she was in the parliament building and was hastily evacuated.

Apparently, the previous photo really is the criminal. In this case, it is appropriate to note that he is still not “Asian”.

On June 4, London saw the third terrorist attack in the UK in the past two and a half months. 7 people were killed and 48 were injured

Related materials

Three men in a car hit pedestrians in the area of ​​London Bridge, after which they drove to Borough Market, where they got out of the car and began attacking passers-by with knives. The criminals were eliminated by the police.

As a result of the attacks, according to the latest data, seven people were killed and 48 were injured. According to police representatives, “36 wounded remain in hospitals, some with very serious injuries, the condition of 21 is assessed as critical.” Among the dead were citizens of several countries - Canada, France, Germany.

London Deputy Chief of Police Mark Rowley said 50 shots were fired to kill the terrorists. This is due to the fact that the perpetrators of the crime were wearing fake suicide belts. Rowley also admitted that one of the bystanders was also injured during the shootout. He is in hospital, but his injury, according to Rowley, does not pose a threat to his life.

On June 4, the Islamic State group (IS, banned in Russia) claimed responsibility for the attack on people in London.

IS on Saturday, June 3, posted a call on Telegram for its followers to carry out attacks with trucks, knives and weapons against the “crusaders” during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The current terrorist attack was the second in London and the third in Great Britain in less than three months. The first of the attacks took place in Westminster, the government area of ​​London, on March 22. Then a car driven by 52-year-old terrorist Khalid Masood hit passers-by and three police officers on Westminster Bridge. The driver abandoned the car near the British Parliament building, and then, with a knife in his hands, attacked a plainclothes policeman guarding the entrance to the Palace of Westminster and tried to enter the House of Commons. Law enforcement officers shot and killed the attacker, as a result of whose actions five people were killed and several dozen people were injured.

The second crime was an explosion at the Manchester Arena, which occurred late in the evening of May 22 immediately after the end of the concert. American singer Ariana Grande. An explosive device detonated by 22-year-old suicide bomber Salman Abedi went off outside concert hall- in the foyer. The victims of this terrorist attack were 22 people and 75 were injured.

Four people were killed and at least twenty were injured in two terrorist attacks in the center of the British capital. This was announced by the London Police Press Service at a press conference on the evening of Wednesday, March 22.

The dead included one police officer and the attacker, as well as two pedestrians from Westminster Bridge. According to police, the terrorist first drove a car into a crowd of pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, injuring several passers-by and three police officers. Then the car crashed into the fence of the Parliament building, the Palace of Westminster, located in close proximity to the bridge. After this, the criminal continued the attack, attacking a policeman guarding the entrance to the building.

Prosecutors in London are considering the theory that the terrorist attack was the result of propaganda from the Islamic State terrorist group. An EU government official told Reuters about this. According to him, the identity of the attacker is still being established.

A number of related incidents

As the head of the London police said, in connection with the terrorist attacks, its officers had previously received a number of reports in which they were talking about a man falling into the Thames from Westminster Bridge, about a car hitting pedestrians on this bridge and about a man armed with a knife. A seriously injured woman who fell into the Thames from a bridge has been rescued, according to London authorities.

Earlier in the British capital, an unknown person with a knife unsuccessfully tried to enter the British Parliament building. He stabbed a police officer and was then shot dead by riot police. The policeman could not be saved.

The flag at Scotland Yard is flown at half-mast in mourning for the fallen police officer and other victims of the attack.

Members of Parliament and witnesses reported hearing gunshots and seeing people lying on the ground during the day.

Context

According to the Press Association, citing doctors, as a result of the terrorist attack on March 22 in the British capital, one woman died and several victims were seriously injured. A doctor at London Central Hospital explained that we're talking about about pedestrians being hit by a car on Westminster Bridge. Police and special forces are at the scene, and approaches to Parliament Square and Westminster Bridge are blocked. At the same time, a large-scale investigation into the events is underway.

Police operation continues

Earlier, the head of the House of Commons, David Lidington, said that a policeman was stabbed to death outside the Houses of Parliament, after which the alleged criminal was shot dead by the police. "Further incidents have also been reported in the immediate vicinity of the building," Lidington said.

At the same time, on the Twitter microblog, London police reported an incident on Westminster Bridge, which, together with what happened near the Houses of Parliament, is regarded as a terrorist attack.

British Prime Minister Theresa May is safe, her spokesman said. Later, the head of the British government expressed condolences to the families and friends of those killed in the terrorist attack. Members of Parliament were asked not to leave the walls of the Palace of Westminster; they were released only after 22:00 Moscow time. The police operation continues. Residents and visitors to London are asked to stay away from police action; nearby tube stations are closed.

Were injured French schoolchildren

French authorities reported that three French schoolchildren aged 15-16 years, who came to the British capital on a class excursion, were injured on the bridge. According to eyewitnesses, they were hit by a car that allegedly deliberately drove into pedestrians.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier expressed their condolences to the British people and stated the need to continue the fight against terrorism in Europe and the world.

See also:

• According to a well-known scenario

  On the anniversary of the Brussels attack, a lone terrorist apparently carried out a bloody attack in central London in broad daylight. Events largely developed according to the scenario already tested by criminals in Nice and Berlin.



A blow to the heart of British democracy

Killer SUV

At approximately 14.40 local time, a criminal in a dark SUV drove at people at high speed on the Westminster Bridge over the Thames, where there are always a lot of pedestrians and tourists. Without slowing down or stopping, the car crashed into the fence of the nearby Palace of Westminster, where the British Parliament sits.



A blow to the heart of British democracy

Failed to break through

The criminal jumped out of the car and, trying to break into the parliament building, stabbed a policeman. Police SWAT officers shot and killed the attacker.



A blow to the heart of British democracy

Victims of the attack

According to preliminary information, the policeman who was stabbed died. In addition, three more people died among the passers-by who found themselves on Westminster Bridge at that hour. Many of the victims taken to hospitals have serious injuries, so the death toll could rise.



A blow to the heart of British democracy

The number of victims is being determined

The London Ambulance Service responded to the call and treated ten injured people on the spot. Their total number, according to preliminary data, reached 40 people.



A blow to the heart of British democracy

Deputies were not allowed to leave the building

The police virtually immediately cordoned off the parliament building. The meeting of the House of Commons was interrupted. However, for several hours neither deputies nor other workers could leave the Palace of Westminster. They were later evacuated by Security personnel to Westminster Abbey.



A blow to the heart of British democracy

Act of terrorism

Scotland Yard spokesman Ben-Julian Harrington said on the same day that the Greater London Police assessed the incident as an “act of terrorism.” He did not release the attacker's name or his motives. However, law enforcement officers do not rule out that he acted under the influence of propaganda disseminated by Islamic State militants.

• A blow to the heart of British democracy

  The COBRA Committee met

  British Prime Minister Theresa May, who was in the Houses of Parliament shortly before the terrorist attack, convened a meeting of the emergency government committee COBRA (Cabinet Office Briefing Room A), held only in emergency cases. Late in the evening, the prime minister addressed the people of Great Britain.



A blow to the heart of British democracy

May: Parliament will meet as usual

London will continue to live its own ordinary life, the prime minister announced, adding that despite the terrorist attack, the level of terrorist threat will not be changed. "Parliament will meet as usual and Londoners will go about their business as usual. They will walk these streets, never giving in to terrorism and never allowing the voices of hate and evil to tear us apart," said Theresa May.