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Four Years On, 7/7 Memorial Unveiled |
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Written by Caroline Davies and Alan Travis
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Tuesday, 07 July 2009 21:56 |
 Tall and proud they stand: 52 steel pillars, one for each life randomly cut
down by the suicide bombers.
Four years after 7/7 became shorthand for terror, the bereaved and the survivors
of the London bombings gathered in Hyde Park to dedicate a striking memorial to
the victims of mainland Britain's worst terrorist atrocity.
"It has such power," said Saba Mozakka, 28, whose mother Behnaz, 47, perished in
one of four bombs detonated in 50 minutes. "It represents each of these
incredibly important individuals who are so missed and so loved by their
families. But, it also reflects the collective and the connectivity of what
happened on that day – 52 people but four locations. It is absolutely stunning,
incredible. And it is right it should be here in Hyde Park. It is right that
London should never forget, that the country should never forget."
For the 500 who attended the ceremony in the south-east corner of the park, it
was all about remembering. The Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, prime
minister and mayor of London met families and survivors , all of them indelibly
scarred by the events of 7 July 2005.
Across the park the Commons home affairs committee had announced a new inquiry
into the attacks. Inside the park, heads were bowed during a short, simple
ceremony.
"They are immortal in your hearts, and now immortalised in this place, a place
of great beauty, but also a place of great pain," Tessa Jowell, the minister for
London, said in an address.
Prince Charles spoke of a day of "cruel and mindless carnage", and of the
bravery and strength of the familes in the face of "inhuman and deplorable
outrage". He had his own "small awareness" of their "shattering loss", he said,
referring to the IRA bomb that killed his great uncle, Lord Mountbatten and
others.
For many, it was the first time they had seen the £1m memorial, designed with
the help of six representatives of the families. Louise Gray, 37, whose husband
Richard, 41, from Ipswich, was killed, said: "It means a lot. There are so many
different things happening in the world, and this is a way of showing Richard's
life was not worthless, that he is going to be remembered."
Tears flowed as the names of the victims were read aloud by Sir Trevor McDonald,
followed by a minute's silence.
For each life lost, an 11ft stele now stands, poured individually so the grain
and textures are unique. The time, date and location of the bombing is inscribed
on each – but not a name. "We wanted to convey the randomness of their deaths,
the fact it could be any one of us," said designer Kevin Carmody. The stelae are
set into four groups, representing the four locations – King's Cross, Aldgate
and Edgware Road underground stations, and Tavistock Square where the No 30
double decker bus was blown up.
"From across the park, it reads as a singular object. But, as you come closer
you realise it's 52 columns," added Carmody.
The names are inscribed in alphabetical order on a plaque nearby. On this plaque
relatives, brushing aside the rainwater along with their tears, laid 104 roses –
52 red for "love", and 52 white for "peace".
The ceremony was held as a Commons home affairs committee report, published on
the fourth anniversary, claimed the London tube and bus network remains
"extremely vulnerable" to terrorist attack, and that the 2012 Olympics was also
"another critical area of vulnerability".
"The London Underground network will always be a high-profile target for
would-be terrorists," the MPs conclude. "We would, nevertheless, seek to
reassure the Commons and the public that a great deal of work has been done … to
protect the millions of passengers who use the Transport for London network
every day."
Source: Guardian
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 07 July 2009 22:08 |
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