The investigation into a terrorist attack outside the Houses of Parliament in London is developing rapidly. London Māori Richard Keane, who works near the scene where the attack took place, says the reality is that London is a target, it has been for a long time and that most people are aware of the risk living here, but life goes on.
Gunshots and screams of horror are only some of the descriptions of this morning's terror attack in the city of London.
Keane told Te Kāea, “At first we had heard that there were gun shots at parliament and then we heard all the sirens and then a bulletin came out in an email that went around our work place just saying stay in the building.”
The investigation into the terror attack that struck London this morning is rapidly developing. Five people have died and approximately 40 other people were injured. Several are still being treated for serious injuries. Richard Keane, a Māori who works near the scene where the attack took place, says he could hear the gunshots and people screaming as the events played out.
“There were a lot of sirens and then a lot of helicopters obviously from media. Cameras were trying to get onto the scene to film what was going on really. But the initial helicopter was to take away people that had been injured from the car that had run them down.”
Keane says that after the Second World War, when London was being bombed repeatedly, the slogan "Keep calm and carry on" was heard often, and he believes that is built into the British psyche.
The British Prime Minister announced on television, “We will all move forward together, never giving in to terror and never allowing the voices of hate and evil to drive us apart.”
Keane says, “The attitude here is one of Just keep going. Just you know, nothing like that is going to stop the way we live in this civilisation. So that’s the mentality that people have over here.”
Condolences and thoughts have been sent from Prime Minister Bill English to the people of London as well as from thousands in New Zealand.