AS WITH the Manchester Arena atrocity stories of personal kindness and bravery are beginning to emerge after the dreadful attack on innocent people in the centre of London on Saturday night.
Seven people were killed and dozens injured when three men went on a violent rampage before they were shot dead by police responding to the emergency.
It is important to remember that this attack, as was the horrific bombing of the Manchester Arena, was completely indiscriminate.
People of all genders, faiths and nationalities could have been and probably were victims of this latest demonstration of hatred.
It is very difficult to comprehend therefore just what the people who carry out such actions are hoping to achieve. The most voiced theory is that they are attempting to divide a society which is cosmopolitan in every way, into warring factions.
There has been no evidence that any of these attacks have gone any way towards achieving that goal. In fact in all the publicity surrounding the Manchester atrocity the most common theme which came through was a desire for unity among people of all faiths and ethnic backgrounds.
The authorities, when they are considering what security measures should be put in place should keep that fact in mind. They should not do anything which will do the work of the killers for them, that is enact policies or laws which will divide communities.
Yes they have a duty to ensure the safety of the public and no doubt there will be practical demonstrations of this with most likely more armed police and possibly military personnel on the streets of major cities.
But the problem they face is in combatting a form of violence which is completely unpredictable, absolutely indiscriminate, utilises any sort of 'weapon' which is commonly available and is carried out by people who not only do not seem to care if they die but plan to do so.
This provides very basic difficulties for the security services. For instance it does not matter that there are no bombs in a car if the car is the weapon itself, so simply searching it will not necessarily stop it from being used to attack and kill people.
Last night thousands of people attended a concert in Manchester to remember and raise funds for the victims of the Manchester Arena bombing. Everyone going in was searched thoroughly.
We can expect to see such tight security at major events – whether they be sports or musical – not just in British cities but all over Europe.
