Victims of London nail bomb attacks remembered

To mark the 20th anniversary of London nail bomb attacks, Brick Lane Act of Remembrance was held on Wednesday, April 24, in front of Brick Lane Police Station with candle light vigil for the victims and the injured of Brixton, Brick Lane and Soho.

The 1999 London nail bombings were a series of bomb explosions that took place over three successive weekends between April 17 in Brixton, April 24 in Brick Lane and April 30 in Soho. While fortunately no one was killed in Brixton and Brick Lane bombings, three people unfortunately lost their lives in the Soho attack.

The second bomb, on the following Saturday, April 24, was aimed at Brick Lane in the East End of London, which has a large Bengali community. There is a street market on Sundays, but the perpetrator mistakenly tried to plant the bomb on Saturday when the street was less busy. Unwilling to change the timer on the bomb, he left it instead in a black Reebok bag on Hanbury Street. There it was picked up by a man, who brought it to the police station on Brick Lane, which was shut. He had placed it in the boot of his Ford Sierra car which was parked outside number 42 Brick Lane, where it exploded. Thirteen people including Emdad Talukder were injured, and surrounding buildings and cars were severely damaged. At the time, Muslims were gathering outside the Brick Lane Mosque for prayers.

During the programme held in remembrance of the victims, John Biggs, mayor of Tower Hamlets, stressed the need of unity of all communities and stated Tower Hamlets as a place of no hate.

Mark Healey, founder of Hate Crime Awareness Week, reminded that the bomb attack carried out by Neo Nazi militant and former member of BNP killed three people in Soho, including a pregnant woman, and injured 140 people, four of whom lost limbs.

LGBT Poet Laureate Trudy Howson recited a poem in memory of the victims.

The event ended with a one-minute silence for the victims. A plaque was mounted on the wall next to the police station as a reminder. The event was attended by local community and anti-racist activists, Cllrs, Police Commander Sue Williams, senior Council officials and Emdad Talukder who was injured in the Brick Lane blast.