This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/live/2017/jun/19/north-london-van-incident-finsbury-park-casualties-collides-pedestrians-live-updates

The article has changed 39 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 15 Version 16
Finsbury Park terror attack: one dead near north London mosque – latest updates Finsbury Park terror attack: one dead near north London mosque – latest updates
(35 minutes later)
11.22am BST
11:22
Harriet Sherwood
Human Appeal, the UK’s fastest growing Muslim charity, had a live television appeal on the Islam channel on Sunday night to raise money for the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire. Moments before the attack in north London, a representative of the Finsbury Park mosque, across the road from the Muslim Welfare House, called to say the community had raised £3,500 for those killed, injured and displaced by the inferno.
11.18am BST
11:18
Theresa May is about to give a statement in Downing Street about the Finsbury Park attack after chairing a meeting of the government’s emergency committee, Cobra.
11.15am BST
11:15
Harriet Sherwood
Ephraim Mirvis, the chief rabbi, said:
“It is heartbreaking to hear of yet another deadly attack on the streets of London, this time targeting Muslims who had been at prayer. This is a painful illustration of why we must never allow hatred to breed hatred. It creates a downward spiral of violence and terror with only further death and greater destruction.
“As ever, our thoughts and prayers are with those affected and may each of us resolve to respond to this latest tragedy with the same compassion and determination not to be divided, which has defined our society over recent months.”
Horrific attack at #finsburypark a painful illustration of why we must never allow hatred to breed hatred. Thoughts with all those affected.
Updated
at 11.23am BST
11.14am BST
11:14
Harriet Sherwood
More Christian leaders have offered prayers and support for Finsbury Park’s Muslim community.
Adrian Newman, the bishop of Stepney, said: “An attack on any faith is an attack on us all. As a church, we stand together with Finsbury Park mosque, in the wake of this morning’s appalling news. It sadly comes after a weekend, in memory of Jo Cox MP, that celebrated all that brings us together, and I know that the mosque, hand in hand with other local faith and community groups, was at the heart of events in the Finsbury Park area.”
Local churches would be available to help the mosque, he added. “We will not be cowed by those who seek to terrorise our communities.”
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the Catholic archbishop of Westminster, said he was “appalled at the deliberate attack on people leaving their late-night prayers, as the end of their day of fasting, at the mosque in Finsbury Park. I have assured the leadership of the mosque and the Muslim Welfare Centre of our prayers and support.
“Violence breeds violence. Hatred breeds hatred. Every one of us must repudiate hatred and violence from our words and actions. We must all be builders of understanding, compassion and peace, day by day, in our homes, our work and our communities. That is the only way.”
Updated
at 11.24am BST
11.13am BST
11:13
Javid: ‘this is hate crime attack’
The communities secretary, Sajid Javid, has been at the scene to express the government’s solidarity with the Muslim community.
Speaking to BBC News, he said: “I’m here to reassure first the local Muslim community and Muslims across Britain that we will always, as a government, take a zero-tolerance approach to hate crime … clearly, what we’ve seen and what we know already this is a hate crime attack.”
Javid added: “The Muslim community has our full support in every way, but I also want to learn from the community here what more we can do to reassure them at this very difficult time.”
The speed of Javid’s visit to the scene is in marked contrast to the government’s response to the Grenfell Tower fire last week, when the prime minister was criticised for failing to meet residents.
Javid added: “There is a meeting that the prime minister is chairing right now of the emergency Cobra committee to see what other response we can have that can help.”
Updated
at 11.26am BST
10.56am BST
10:56
Police are standing guard outside Pontyclun Van Hire in south Wales.
The van involved is marked with the livery of the hire company which is based on an industrial estate close to the M4 12 miles west of Cardiff.
A woman who answered the phone at the hire company’s offices said: “We’re not allowed to make any comment. You’ll have to try back later.”
With its headquarters on the East Side Cambrian Industrial Estate, the company has been established for 25 years. Its website says it provides “quality vans, trucks and other vehicles for hire in the south Wales area.”
The hire company serves a wide area. It is at the foot of the Rhondda Valley; the market town of Cowbridge is six miles south while Brigend is 10 miles west.
Pont-y-Clun itself is a bustling village. Its population has risen sharply in recent years with people moving out of Cardiff to find more affordable accommodation – and others moving from the valleys to get within easy commuting distance of the Welsh capital.
Finsbury Park attack - Pontyclun van hire in South Wales pic.twitter.com/3QINx8INZP
10.54am BST
10:54
Corbyn: 'we all have to reach out to feel their pain and stress'
Corbyn said he was contacted by Downing Street in the early hours of the morning but has yet to talk to the prime minister about the attack.
Speaking at the scene he said:
This was a van driven into a crowd of people attending a man who was already injured. They were coming home from night time prayers in the mosque. As I see it this is a terror on the streets ... in the communities.
Downing Street have been in touch with us and I was speaking to the mayor of London Sadiq Khan as well, we had a long conversation at about 4 o’clock this morning while I was in Muslim Welfare House so we were making sure that the response was efficient and coordinated and also to give reassure to the community.
I haven’t spoken to her [Theresa May] directly, but our offices have been in touch and she has expressed her condolences for the death and also concerns about what happened last night.
Asked if the prime minister should attend the scene, Corbyn said: “It is not up to me what the prime minister does. I’m the local MP. And I’m obviously here as you would expect any constituency MP to be present. These are people who I have represented for more than 35 years. I know many of them extremely well. And I feel their pain today and I feel their stress today. We have to all reach out and feel their pain and their stress.”
He added:
“I’ve met both last night and this morning people who were just frightened, were just frightened that something like this could happen again. We obviously need efficient and effective policing we obviously need an attitude in our society of support for each other. The only way to deal with kind of issue is communities coming together.
“This is a very multi-faith community - Christians, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, all live around here. This is a microcosm of a community working together.
“An attack on a mosque, an attack on a synagogue, an attack on a church, is actually an attack on all of us. We have to protect each other’s faith each other’s way of life. That’s what makes us a strong society and community.”
Asked if the police could do more to protect the area, Corbyn said: “I’m not complaining at all about the local police. They in fact have worked very well together with both the mosques in Finsbury Park to make sure they have the support they need.”
10.30am BST10.30am BST
10:3010:30
The communities secretary, Sajid Javid, has also been filmed at the scene. He was shown on BBC News entering the police cordon with the police.The communities secretary, Sajid Javid, has also been filmed at the scene. He was shown on BBC News entering the police cordon with the police.
UpdatedUpdated
at 10.39am BSTat 10.39am BST
10.27am BST10.27am BST
10:2710:27
Corbyn at the sceneCorbyn at the scene
Local MP and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is at the scene. Speaking to Sky News he confirmed he visited the aftermath of the attack last night. He said:Local MP and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is at the scene. Speaking to Sky News he confirmed he visited the aftermath of the attack last night. He said:
I live down there on Seven Sisters Road and, obviously, I was aware of incident very quickly. There was a number of police vehicles and a helicopter overhead. I know the people in Muslim Welfare House and the mosque extremely well, and the community very well.I live down there on Seven Sisters Road and, obviously, I was aware of incident very quickly. There was a number of police vehicles and a helicopter overhead. I know the people in Muslim Welfare House and the mosque extremely well, and the community very well.
I came here last night to talk to the police and the firefighters and ambulance who were here. I have to say the response by all three emergency services was very timely and very quick. And the police managed to arrest the suspect who was driving the van and take him away from the area. And sadly, the gentleman who died [his] body was on the ground and was covered respectfully by a tent so that forensic examination could take place.I came here last night to talk to the police and the firefighters and ambulance who were here. I have to say the response by all three emergency services was very timely and very quick. And the police managed to arrest the suspect who was driving the van and take him away from the area. And sadly, the gentleman who died [his] body was on the ground and was covered respectfully by a tent so that forensic examination could take place.
Police updating Corbyn on #FinsburyParkattack – Corbyn also appears to be speaking to locals behind cordon. pic.twitter.com/lC14VvJl0iPolice updating Corbyn on #FinsburyParkattack – Corbyn also appears to be speaking to locals behind cordon. pic.twitter.com/lC14VvJl0i
UpdatedUpdated
at 10.41am BSTat 10.41am BST
10.16am BST10.16am BST
10:1610:16
There has been widespread condemnation from political leaders past and present.There has been widespread condemnation from political leaders past and present.
The Finsbury Park attack is senseless barbarism. My thoughts and prayers are with all involved. Yet again the emergency services are heroes.The Finsbury Park attack is senseless barbarism. My thoughts and prayers are with all involved. Yet again the emergency services are heroes.
Appalling terrorist attack against Muslims worshipping peacefully in Finsbury Park. We must all stand together against such evil.Appalling terrorist attack against Muslims worshipping peacefully in Finsbury Park. We must all stand together against such evil.
Horrified by the appalling attack in Finsbury Park.The country stands with all those affected:the victims, their families and the community.Horrified by the appalling attack in Finsbury Park.The country stands with all those affected:the victims, their families and the community.
A sickening attack on worshippers at #FinsburyPark mosque. All my thoughts are with victims, family & friends.A sickening attack on worshippers at #FinsburyPark mosque. All my thoughts are with victims, family & friends.
This horrible terrorist attack at Finsbury Park last night is truly shocking. My thoughts are with those affected. We must remain united.This horrible terrorist attack at Finsbury Park last night is truly shocking. My thoughts are with those affected. We must remain united.
10.04am BST
10:04
9.54am BST
09:54
An imam guarded the van driver who mowed down Muslim worshippers until the police arrived, telling a crowd: “Do not touch him,” PA reports.
The suspected terrorist was wrestled to the ground by passersby after he had careered, reportedly smiling, through a crowd of pedestrians, including a man in a wheelchair.
Witness Hussain Ali, 28, said that, while being restrained, the man was protected by the people he is thought to have been targeting.
He said: “The leader of the mosque said: ‘You do not touch him’. He was sitting and holding him like that, people kept holding him.
“All the police and helicopters came after around eight minutes.”
Ali described the horrifying scene unfolding outside the Islamic centre in north London early on Monday morning.
“All I heard was a banging, then I turned and saw all the shouting and running. I saw people taking a man from underneath the van, he was black, bleeding, he was not dead, he was alive.
“There was a man in a wheelchair, a man underneath the van, it was hell. People who were inside saw the attacker was smiling, he was waving, he was happy. It was panic, people were shouting, screaming, some saying it was an accident.
“It was panic, it was horror.”
Following the carnage, the valour of an imam called Mohammed Mahmoud was also hailed by the religious community.
Toufik Kacimi, the chief executive of the Muslim Welfare House, said his “bravery and courage helped calm the immediate situation after the incident and prevented further injuries and potential loss of life”.
Finsbury Park attack: 'People were hitting [the attacker] and the Imam came out to tell them not to and to call the police.' pic.twitter.com/nyoxlAh7Mc
Updated
at 10.05am BST
9.45am BST
09:45
The European commissioner for home affairs, Dimitris Avramopoulos, has added his voice to those condemning the attack and called for unity.
Strongly condemn attack near Mosque at #FinsburyPark.To those who wish to divide our communities, we have to respond with unity.
Updated
at 9.52am BST
9.42am BST
09:42
The archbishop of Canterbury has also condemned the attack. “We stand in solidarity with our Muslim friends and pray for the bereaved and injured,” he tweeted.
The attack at #FinsburyPark mosque is abhorrent. We stand in solidarity with our Muslim friends and pray for the bereaved and injured.
The appalling attack on Muslims in #FinsburyPark is an attack on us all and the culture and values of our country.https://t.co/wvTh9Ij94F pic.twitter.com/zwMcezpoWH
Updated
at 10.01am BST
9.38am BST
09:38
Rachel Obordo
If you’ve been affected by the incident and would like to share eyewitness accounts or news tips, anonymously if you prefer, with our journalists then please do so via the form here. The form is encrypted and your responses are only seen by the Guardian. You can also contact the Guardian via WhatsApp by adding the contact +44(0)7867825056.
9.37am BST
09:37
A London Underground worker wrote this quote of the day on the service information board at Finsbury Park station: “Tough times don’t last. Tough people do stick together. All of us”.
My local tube worker Finsbury Park pic.twitter.com/oDRRHQr7J1
9.32am BST
09:32
Vikram Dodd
The suspected attack came during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, when several worshippers had gathered in Finsbury Park area which is home to two mosques.
Among Britain’s Muslim communities there have been fears that they are targeted for Islamophobic hate crimes and that the authorities do not take such incidents seriously enough.
A spike in hate crimes was reported after the London Bridge attack, just over a fortnight ago. Security officials and senior police officers are in private, acutely aware of the need to protect Muslim communities from any “backlash”.
Extremists on the far right and those following an extremist Islamist ideology want to drive a wedge between British Muslims and other communities.
9.26am BST
09:26
Corbyn to attend prayers at Finsbury Park mosque
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who is also the MP for the area, said he will be attending prayers at the Finsbury Park mosque later today.
In a statement he said:
I am shocked by this horrific and cruel attack in Finsbury Park, which is being treated as an act of terror.
I offer my condolences to the family and friends of the man who has died, and our thoughts are with the people who have been injured, their family and friends.
As the local MP, I have met with Muslim community leaders at the Muslim Welfare House alongside Islington council leader Richard Watts, the council’s chief executive Lesley Seary and the Metropolitan police.
Richard and I will attend prayers at Finsbury Park mosque later today.
I appeal for people and the media to remain calm and respectful of those affected.
In the meantime, I call on everyone to stand together against those who seek to divide us.
I am shocked by this horrific and cruel attack in Finsbury Park, which is being treated as an act of terror. pic.twitter.com/fipwZJ1eBZ
Here’s roundup of other political reaction:
Updated
at 9.51am BST
9.21am BST
09:21
Harriet Sherwood
The Muslim Association of Britain “unreservedly condemns this evil terror attack” and has called on the police to increase security in mosques.In a statement, it said: “We call on politicians to treat this major incident no less than a terrorist attack. We call on the government to do more to tackle this hateful evil ideology which has spread over these past years and resulted in an increase of Islamophobic attacks and division of our society, as well as spreading of hate.”Dr Omer El-Hamdoon, the association’s president, said: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of this evil attack. I call on all Muslims to be extra vigilant following these hateful Islamophobic attacks, and to be cautious.”
Updated
at 9.37am BST
9.17am BST
09:17
Harriet Sherwood
Bhai Amrik Singh, chair of the Sikh Federation (UK), said: “Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by the appalling incident at Finsbury Park.”
“Worryingly vehicles in London have once again become the latest weapon in the hands of terrorists. Unfortunately this means every innocent pedestrian going about their daily lives has become a target. “The incidents in the last three months suggest there needs to be an honest dialogue and a fundamental shift in the way government tackles all forms of hate and terror. “Hate and terror must be stamped out by directly confronting all those who promote an ideology and philosophy based on hate and terror.
“Sikh teachings, history and the Sikh way of life offers not only hope, but direction on how to tackle hate and terror. Those making policies in governments across the globe need to draw upon belief systems and thinking designed to deal with hate and terror head on.”
The European Jewish Congress also expressed shock and condemnation.
“This is an unconscionable attack on Muslim worshippers during their holy month of Ramadan,” EJC President Moshe Kantor said. “We condemn this attack and its attempt to escalate tensions in the UK and we stand firmly besides our Muslim brothers and sisters in the aftermath of this attack.”
“An attack on one religion is an attack on all religions and all people and faiths must stand together against terror.”