Today marks the one-year anniversary of the London Bridge terror attack. People of London will come together to remember the victims of the attack, as service of commemoration will be held at Southwark Cathedral for the victims and their family members, and those who survived, as well as those who responded to the crisis. The memorial will begin with a minute‘s silence in memory of those who lost their lives on that fateful day. Eight people were killed in the attack and 48 were injured when three terrorists drove a white van into pedestrians walking on the London Bridge, at the north side of the river, at 21:58 BST on 3 June last year.
Locals tried to fight off the terrorists
The van then crossed over and returned in the opposite direction six minutes later. After running people over, the van crashed near the Barrowboy and Banker Pub. The terrorists then jumped out of the van, armed with fake suicide vest and knives, and began stabbing people at local pubs and restaurants.
As the police were being alerted, some people tried to fight off the terrorists by throwing chairs and glasses at them. Shouting "This is for Allah," the terrorists managed to wound several people before being shot and killed by police. Among those hurt were four police officers. One of them was a British Transport Police officer who was seriously injured when he faced the attackers, armed with only a baton.
Another one wounded was an off-duty police officer who managed to tackle one of the terrorists to the ground, BBC reported. More than a 100 emergency calls came in during and after the attack. The Islamic State Group later claimed responsibility for the attack.
People enjoying a night out were targeted
Among the victims were Chrissy Archibald, a 30-year-old Canadian bride-to-be, Kirsty Boden, a 28-year-old Australian nurse who worked at a London hospital, and James McMullan, a 32-year-old Londoner.
Others killed were 21-year-old Sara Zelenak, 26-year-old Frenchman Alexandre Pigeard, 45-year-old Frenchman Xavier Thomas, 36-year-old Sebastian Belanger and 39-year-old Ignacio Echeverria from Spain.
According to CNN, many of those targeted were enjoying a fun night out in Borough Market, a place that is very popular among locals, packed with bars and restaurants that are usually full of people.
During the memorial today, family members of the victims will light candles and an olive tree will be planted. The tree has been made out of the flowers that were left on the bridge in memory of the dead and will be called The Tree of Healing. Then, at 4.30, a march will take place from Southwark Cathedral to the Needle. Further memorial plans are being developed.
