Blasts hit London again, 2 weeks after bombings

July 21, 2005

LONDON (Reuters) - Four small coordinated explosions hit London's transport network on Thursday, but caused no fatalities, exactly 2 weeks after bombers killed more than 50 people on underground trains and a bus in the capital.

Washington Post

My friend's photos taken and uploaded from London today.

krsna · July 23, 2005

Hare Krishnas Undeterred

"Calm Replaces the Crowds"

BY: Mark Tran, Guardian Unlimited

Tottenham Court following evacuation. Photograph: Martin Godwin/Guardian

Jul 22, LONDON (GUARDIAN UNLTD.)—

On an ordinary afternoon, Tottenham Court Road would be full of tourists and Londoners looking for bargains at its furniture and electronics shops.

But this was not an ordinary day. Warren Street tube station, at the end of the road, had been closed in a bomb attack - two weeks to the day after four suicide blasts on London's transport network killed 56 people.

As a result, Tottenham Court Road, on this bright sunny afternoon, looked like a ghost town. Police had evacuated virtually the whole length of the street, sealing off the side roads with blue and white tape.

The only people allowed on to the street were a gaggle of reporters, who were at first stationed outside the upmarket Heals furniture store, opposite Goodge Street tube station.

As a helicopter clattered overhead in a gloriously blue sky, the police moved away the few stragglers, bellowing: "Can you move back, please, for your own safety."

One unfortunate merchant had to dismantle his stall - an elaborate structure full of suitcases, handbags and wallets - after the police told him to close up.

Eventually, officers allowed the reporters to move closer to the Warren Street, where a man had earlier been seen running towards the nearby University College Hospital.

Although the streets were empty, people had stayed inside their shops and offices. Three women employees at the travel agent Going Places stood behind the glass doors, looking out at the unfamiliar scene.

Next door, office workers stood on a balcony as police cars and fire engines tore past, sirens wailing.

By around 4pm, Tottenham Court Road began to return to normal. The shops started reopening and the traffic returned, although police kept the street sealed off around 200 yards from Warren Street tube.

Gilly, whose husband Steve runs the nearby Kingsley photographic shop, said police had asked them to close up and stay inside at around lunchtime.

"I had never heard so many sirens - gosh, it was loud," she said. "The police pulled over all the buses and evacuated them.

"It's sad for humankind, it's happening again. I hadn't thought it would happen so quickly, just after two weeks. But why should any of us be surprised?"

Gilly said there had no significant drop in takings since the attacks of two weeks ago and, as she was speaking, a group of Hare Krishna, chanting and banging on their tambourines, walked past.

She laughed and said: "Look at that. That is so London. These terrorists are bonkers if they think they can make a difference. Not in London they won't."

gHari · July 24, 2005

Now they admit he wasn't a terrorist, and should not have had five bullets pumped into his brain. But he ran. Maybe he had a hash pipe?

theist · July 24, 2005

He had a heavy coat for weather in the upper 70's. Carried a backpack. He ran from the cops and jumped a turnstile and then stumbled on to a train with the cops in pursuit. All of this less than 24 hours after a major terrorist strike.

What we do know is the guy didn't have a brain.

July 25, 2005

I know there is no bill of rights in england with thier terrorism combat over 25 years ols, but is the guy "stupid" for assuming that he had rights?

We (Amerikkkans) have to get a grip that there is no more fourth amendment (search and seizure). Theist describes what is available to those who think they have a right to private possession.

The way it works is that you have the right to refuse an unreasonable search of your body, house, car, etc. There is no "probable cause" for the one wanting to search you. But now there is ample demonstration that those who refuse to submit, those who value their human and civil rights, are now determined (via patriot act and other vicious statutes of fascism) to have provided probable cause.

We knew this was coming. The "I have nothing to hide" garbage of those who agree to give up rights have nothing to do with anything, and smacks of the "I am not a Jew" chant of our german great grandparents. As a Union representative, I saw a lot of heroes who refused drug-tests in the eighties. They stood their ground and some even lost jobs. Not because they were potheads, but because they valued the Constitutional protections that many have shed precious blood for.

They are going, you have gladly given up your rightsd in exchange for protection against terrorism. But the joke is on you, because now you have no rights and terrorism is ten times worse than when you fell for the ruse, hook, line, and sinker. Now the one who insists on human rights is seen as the terrorist, just like the comment by theist indicates (not jammin ya, theist, this is common, not just yours).

Running from cops is not a bad thing to do. Alfred Hitchcock, the great mystery and horror writer, was asked what scares him into irrationality. He stated that nothing scares him as much as police in pursuit.

Now, for all us outlaws here, lets describe our flight from the law. I was good at it until I got too old. But when I was young, I was a target of the SS-LAPD pig squad. Orange county no better. I had no intent of letting pigs get me ever, and I was not a criminal, I knew they planted drugs on hipsters, I knew they had guns in baggies so they could kill you if necessary and plant a gat. Nothing would be more insulting that to be dead in a pool of blood by cop with a sterling arms 32 placed in your hand. If I do go that way, better my walther PPK in my hand, what an embarrisment to die with the wrong piece.

No, running from the piggies is not criminal activity, it is survival instinct. Now if he was shootin back at those in pursuit, by all means, blast away. But runnin is not punishable by five slugs to the head at close range. Sounds more like he was runnin from the hoovahs or the rollin sixties than from legitamate enforcers of common law.

lets have runnin stories. Cmon, Rx, Im sure you escaped unrighteous oinks in your past.

yo brah, mahaksadasa

Kulapavana · July 25, 2005

"What we do know is the guy didn't have a brain."

lets not jump to conclusions. there is a lot more to this story. for example, this guy was attacked 2 weeks earlier by a gang of whites and roughed up pretty bad. "police" guys were not in uniforms. they looked and acted like thugs.

July 26, 2005

Or I shouldn't even ask -- everyone looks like thugs to you. /images/graemlins/blush.gif

July 26, 2005

I got no stories about running from oinks for you. Any I had would be above your pay grade. /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

July 26, 2005

Hello Lads,

I don't know what sort of news coverage you're getting in the U.S, but I just thought I'd show you some pictures of London yesterday... 3 days after the terrorists struck: