May Speaks After UK Concert Terror Attack

SEARCH CONTINUES.> JONATHAN
BIG LIOTTI REPORTING FOR
MANCHESTER.
WE JUST HEARD THE BRITISH PRIME
MINISTER THERESA MAY SPEAKING
FOR THE FIRST TIME.
IT IS COLD CALCULATION.
THIS WAS AMONG THE WORST
TERRORISTS INSTANCES WE HAVE
EVER EXPERIENCED IN THE UNITED
KINGDOM.
ALSO IT IS NOT THE FIRST
TIME MANCHESTER HAS SUFFERED
IN THIS WAY.
IT IS THE WORST ATTACK THE CITY
HAS EXPERIENCED, AND THE WORST
EVER TO HIT THE NORTH OF
ENGLAND.
THE POLICE AND SECURITY ARE
WORKING AT SPEED TO ESTABLISH
THE COMPLETE PICTURE.
BUT I WANT TO TELL YOU WHAT I
CAN AT THIS STAGE.
AT 10:33 PM LAST NIGHT THE
POLICE WERE CALLED TO REPORTS
OF AN EXPLOSION AT MANCHESTER
ARENA, IN MANCHESTER CITY
CENTER NEAR VICTORIA TRAIN
CENTER.
WE NOW KNOW A SINGLE TERRORIST
DETONATED HIS IMPROVISED
EXPLOSIVE DEVICE NEAR ONE OF
THE EXITS OF THE VENUE.
DELIBERATELY CHOOSING THE TIME
AND PLACE TO CAUSE MAXIMUM
CARNAGE AND KILL AND INJURE
INDISCRIMINATELY.
THE EXPLOSION COINCIDED WITH
THE CONCLUSION OF A POP CONCERT
WHICH WAS ATTENDED BY MANY
YOUNG FAMILIES AND GROUPS OF
CHILDREN.
ALL ACTS OF TERRORISM ARE
COWARDLY ATTACKS ON INNOCENT
PEOPLE.
BUT THIS ATTACK STANDS OUT FOR
ITS APPALLING, SICKENING
COWARDICE.
DELIBERATELY TARGETING INNOCENT
CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE.
WHO SHOULD'VE BEEN ENJOYING ONE
OF THE MOST MEMORABLE NIGHTS OF
THEIR LIVES.
AS THINGS STAND I CAN TELL YOU
THAT IN ADDITION TO THE
ATTACKER 22 PEOPLE HAVE DIED
AND 59 PEOPLE INJURED.
THOSE WHO ARE INJURED ARE BEING
TREATED IN A DIFFERENT
HOSPITALS ACROSS MANCHESTER.
MANY BEING TREATED FOR LIFE-
THREATENING CONDITIONS.
WE KNOW AMONG THOSE KILLED AND
INJURED WERE MANY CHILDREN AND
YOUNG PEOPLE.
WE STRUGGLE TO COMPREHEND THE
WARPED AND TWISTED MIND THAT
SEES A ROOM PACKED WITH YOUNG
CHILDREN NOT AS A SCENE TO
CHERISH BUT AS AN OPPORTUNITY
FOR CARNAGE.
BUT WE CAN CONTINUE TO RESOLVE
TO THWART SUCH ATTACKS IN THE
FUTURE, TO TAKE ON AND DEFEAT
THE IDEOLOGY THAT FUELS THIS
VIOLENCE.
IF THERE TURNS OUT TO BE OTHERS
RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS ATTACK, TO
SEEK THEM OUT AND BRING THEM TO
JUSTICE.
THE POLICE AND SECURITY
SERVICES BELIEVE THE ATTACK WAS
CARRIED OUT BY ONE MAN, BUT
THEY NOW NEED TO KNOW WHETHER
HE WAS ACTING ALONE OR AS PART
OF A WIDER GROUP.
IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME TO
ESTABLISH THESE FACTS IN THE
INVESTIGATION WILL CONTINUE.
THE POLICE AND SECURITY
SERVICES WILL BE GIVEN ALL THE
RESOURCES THEY NEED TO COMPLETE
THAT TASK.
THE POLICE AND SECURITY
SERVICES BELIEVE THEY KNOW THE
IDENTITY OF THE PERPETRATOR,
BUT AT THIS STAGE OF THE
INVESTIGATION WE CANNOT CONFIRM
HIS NAME.
THE POLICE AND EMERGENCY
SERVICES HAVE AS ALWAYS, ACTED
WITH GREAT COURAGE, AND ON
BEHALF OF THE COUNTRY I WANT TO
EXPRESS OUR GRATITUDE TO THEM.
THEY ACTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH
THE PLANS THEY HAVE IN PLACE
AND THE EXERCISES THEY CONDUCT
TO TEST THOSE PLANS, AND THEY
FORMED WITH THE -- THEY
PERFORMED WITH THE UTMOST
PROFESSIONALISM.
400 POLICE OFFICERS INVOLVED IN
THE OPERATION THROUGH THE
NIGHT.
PARAMEDICS, DOCTORS AND NURSES
HAVE WORKED VALIANTLY AMID
TRAUMATIC AND TERRIBLE SCENES
TO SAVE LIVES AND CARE FOR THE
WOUNDED.
SIGNIFICANT RESOURCES WILL GO
TO THE POLICE INVESTIGATION AND
THE CONTINUED VISIBLE PATROLS
AROUND MANCHESTER WHICH
INCLUDES APPOINTMENT OF ARMED
OFFICERS.
THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE AND WORK IN
MANCHESTER REMAINS A LARGE
SECURITY FORCE IN PLACE FOR
SOME TIME.
THE STATION IS CLOSED AND WILL
REMAIN CLOSED WHILE DETAILED
FORENSIC SEARCH IS ON THE WAY.
WE NOTE MANY FRIENDS AND
RELATIVES OF PEOPLE HURT IN THE
ATTACK ARE STILL TRYING TO FIND
OUT WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THEIR
CHILDREN, BROTHERS AND SISTERS,
PARENTS AND LOVED ONES.
SO PLEASE, THINK OF THOSE
PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING
UNIMAGINABLE WORRY, IF YOU HAVE
ANY INFORMATION AT ALL RELATING
TO THE ATTACK PLEASE CONTACT
GREATER MANCHESTER POLICE.
THE THREAT LEVEL REMAINS
UNCLEAR, THAT MEANS A TERRORIST
ATTACK REMAINS HIGHLY LIKELY.
THE INDEPENDENT JOINT TERRORISM
ALERT -- NLS SECTOR -- ANALYSIS
SECTOR WILL ASSESS THIS
THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND IN THE
DAYS AHEAD.
LATER I WILL TRAVEL TO
MANCHESTER TO MEET WITH THE
CONSTABLE OF GREATER MANCHESTER
POLICE, THE MAYOR OF GREATER
MANCHESTER AND MEMBERS OF THE
EMERGENCY SERVICES WILL COME TO
MANCHESTER IN ITS MOMENT OF
NEED.
AND AS I ANNOUNCED LAST NIGHT
THE GENERAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN
MUST BE SUSPENDED.
I WILL SHARE ANOTHER MEETING
LATER TODAY.
-- AND TERRIBLE MOMENTS LIKE
THESE IT IS CUSTOMARY FOR
LEADERS AND POLITICIANS AND
OTHERS TO CONDEMN THE
PERPETRATORS AND DECLARE THAT
THE TERRORISTS WILL NOT WIN.
BUT THE FACT THAT WE HAVE BEEN
HERE BEFORE, THE FACT THAT WE
NEED TO SAY THIS AGAIN DOES NOT
MAKE IT ANY LAST PRUDENT.
FOR OFTEN WHEN WE EXPERIENCE
THE WORST OF HUMANITY LIKE IN
MANCHESTER LAST NIGHT WE ALSO
SAW THE BEST.
THE COWARDICE OF THE ATTACKER
LED TO THE BRAVERY OF THE
EMERGENCY SERVERS AND THE
PEOPLE OF MANCHESTER.
THE ATTEMPT TO DIVIDE US MEANT
COUNTLESS ACTS OF KINDNESS THAT
BROUGHT PEOPLE CLOSER TOGETHER.
AND IN THE DAYS AHEAD, THOSE
MUST BE THE THINGS WE REMEMBER.
THE IMAGES WE HOLD IN OUR
MINDS, SHOULD NOT BE THOSE OF
SENSELESS SLAUGHTER, JUST THE
ORDINARY MEN AND WOMEN, WHO
WITH OUT CONCERNS ABOUT THEIR
OWN SAFETY, THE RUSH TO HELP.
THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE
EMERGENCY SERVICES WHO WORK
TIRELESSLY TO BRING COMFORT,
HELP, AND SAVE LIVES.
THE MESSAGES OF SOLIDARITY AND
HOPE, FOR ALL THOSE WHO OPEN
THEIR HOMES TO VICTIMS.
THEY ARE THE IMAGES THAT EMBODY
THE SPIRIT OF MANCHESTER, AND
THE SPIRIT OF BRITAIN.
A SPIRIT THAT THROUGH YEARS OF
CONFLICT AND TERRORISM HAS
NEVER BEEN BROKEN.
AND WILL NEVER BE BROKEN.
THERE WILL BE DIFFICULT DAYS
AHEAD.
WE OFFER OUR THOUGHTS AND
PRAYERS TO FAMILIES AND FRIENDS
OF THOSE AFFECTED, WE OFFER OUR
FULL SUPPORT TO THE
AUTHORITIES, EMERGENCY AND
SECURITY SERVICES AS THEY GO
ABOUT THEIR WORK.
AND WE ALL, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF
US, BAND WITH THE PEOPLE OF
MANCHESTER AT THIS TERRIBLE
TIME.
AND TODAY, LET US REMEMBER
THOSE WHO DIED.
LET US CELEBRATE THOSE WHO
HELPED.
SAFE IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE
TERRORIST WILL NEVER WIN.

May Speaks After UK Concert Terror Attack

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