The latest terrorist attack on London Bridge shocked me and terrified me.
Studying in London, I have been living the horror of the latest terrorism incidents. After the Manchester attack, the UK raised its terrorism threat level to “critical” – the highest level possible – something that hasn’t happened since 2007. This was the first time since September, when I moved to London, that I saw policemen carrying firearms on the streets. Although the view of armed forces all around London was somewhat reassuring, my fear about any future threats developed.
The latest UK terrorist attack shocked me and terrified me. My thoughts are with the victims and families of those affected by this terrible event. I also cannot escape the thought that I or a friend of mine could easily have been in the position of the victims, as I live less than two miles away and I was crossing this bridge just some days before the attack.
To make it clear; I do not intend to undermine the much more frequent and deadly terrorist attacks that happen in other places and particularly in Africa and the Middle East, however, when you live so close to the scene the emotions are naturally more intense.
Britain’s resilience to terrorism
What really surprised me about the latest UK terrorist attack is that my fellow citizens are remarkably resilient in the face of terrorism. Of course, the attack is the hottest topic of discussion and it will tragically change the lives of the families of the victims.
However, Londoners in total seem to overcome the atrocities and continue their lives much more quickly than citizens in other places, such as in my home country Greece, would do facing a similar situation. After the incident, parks, pubs and the tube were full of people who enjoyed the bank holiday weekend and the summer sun, while the election campaign also continued shortly.
If the goal of terrorism is to scare people and make them alter their way of life, then terrorists totally have failed in the United Kingdom. The slogan ‘We are not afraid’ is more valid than ever and the British people have remained strong and united against terrorism.
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