Reactions to the Manchester Arena bombing


The reactions to the Manchester Arena bombing, which occurred on 22 May 2017, include the responses by political and religious leaders, media and the general public, both within the United Kingdom, where the Manchester Arena bombing took place, and from other nations and international organizations. Numerous notable establishments around the world also held memorials.
Ariana Grande, who had been giving a concert at the Manchester Arena shortly before the attack, issued a statement thereafter via Twitter that she was "broken," and offered to help those affected by the bombing. The general public sympathised with Grande's words and showed their overwhelming support as her statement later became the second most liked tweet of all time. In addition to returning to the city to visit and FaceTime hospitalised victims, Grande subsequently organised a benefit concert, One Love Manchester, headlined by herself and a number of other artists and groups. The concert was watched by more than 100 million people worldwide and raised proceeds exceeding £10 million in the twelve hours following its conclusion.
In the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Theresa May chaired an emergency meeting of the COBRA committee in the hours following the 22 May 2017 bombing, and the UK's threat level was raised from "severe" to "critical" for a number of days, the first time it had stood at "critical" since 2007. May also condemned the attack, along with Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and other leading politicians and public figures. Religious groups, including the Muslim Council of Britain, also voiced their condemnation. Internationally the attack was universally condemned by world leaders. The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria issued a statement in support of the act.
Monuments in locations around the world were lit up in the colours of the Union Jack in solidarity with the UK, and silences were held to remember the victims of the bombing. A number of organisations and individuals offered tributes to the victims, including the broadcaster ITV, whose soap Coronation Street is filmed in Manchester; numerous figures from the music and entertainment industries also expressed their sympathy.

Background

The attack occurred on 22 May 2017, at around 22:30 BST, when a suicide bomber detonated an improvised explosive device in the foyer area of the Manchester Arena. The attack took place after a concert given by the US singer Ariana Grande that was part of her 2017 Dangerous Woman Tour. The concert was sold out, and up to 21,000 people were in attendance.
Many of the concertgoers were children and young people, who make up much of Grande's fanbase. Greater Manchester Police subsequently confirmed that 22 people had been killed and 120 injured, 59 of whom received hospital treatment; a number of children were confirmed to be among the fatalities. The attacker was also identified as Salman Abedi, a 22-year-old male, and British citizen of Libyan descent.

Domestic responses

On 23 May 2017, Queen Elizabeth II and the British royal family held a minute of silence at a Buckingham Palace garden party in honour of the victims of the bombing. Following a minute of silence in St Anne's Square, a cry of "Rock on, Manchester" elicited applause and a spontaneous rendition of Oasis's "Don't Look Back in Anger" by the crowd.
Prime Minister Theresa May called the incident an "appalling terrorist attack" and chaired a meeting of COBRA the next morning, while Queen Elizabeth II expressed her "deepest sympathy" to those affected by this "dreadful event". Visiting the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, the Queen said "It's dreadful, very wicked to target that sort of thing." Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn called it a "terrible incident", stating that his "thoughts are with all those affected and our brilliant emergency services". Campaigning for the general election was suspended by all political parties, and largely remained on hold until 26 May. The day after the bombing, May announced that the UK's threat level had been raised to 'critical' for the first time in 10 years. As a result, the British Armed Forces would be deployed to support police forces at key locations in the UK. The threat level remained at critical for four days before being reduced back to severe on 27 May.
The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, called the incident "an evil act". Burnham paid tribute to locals and businesses who had supported the victims. He later announced a vigil to be held in Albert Square the following evening. The morning after the attack, London's mayor Sadiq Khan stated that the capital "stands united with the great city of Manchester today", and later stated that "Londoners will see more police on our streets today".
Prince William visited Manchester on 2 June, where he met police officers, paramedics, and others who assisted in the aftermath of the explosion. He also visited the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital and spoke to children still being treated for injuries sustained in the blast. Grande also visited the hospital later the same day, and spent time with children and members of staff.
Police reported a 505% increase in anti-Muslim hate crimes in the Greater Manchester area in the month following the bombing.
Tommy Robinson, the former leader of the English Defence League organised a rally at Manchester's Piccadilly Gardens on 11 June, which was attended by several hundred people. The demonstration was held under the banner of UK Against Hate and prompted a counter demonstration by anti-fascist protesters, at which attendance was also in the hundreds. Demonstrators clashed with police, while media reported that one man had carried a pig's head. The rally drew criticism from Burnham, who tweeted "These EDL-types who came today need to have a look at themselves @gmpolice deserve better."

International response

International bodies

Practical responses

, where the incident took place, issued a statement offering condolences to the people that were affected, calling the attack a "senseless tragedy". As a result, scheduled concerts in the venue later in the same week for band Take That were postponed. On 14 June, the arena confirmed that it would remain closed until September, with scheduled concerts either being cancelled, postponed or moved to other venues.
Facebook activated its "Safety Check" feature for the affected area following the incident, allowing users to mark themselves as "safe", to notify family and friends.

Vigils and honours

Monuments around the world were lit up in the colours of the Union Jack in solidarity with the UK. They included the Burj Khalifa, Tel Aviv City Hall, Jet d'Eau, Library of Birmingham, Amsterdam Central Station, The Orlando Eye, The Toronto sign, Brandenburg Gate, the Adelaide Oval, the Story Bridge in Brisbane, the Petrin Tower in Prague, and the HSBC building in Hong Kong. The lights of the Eiffel Tower, The Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain and Empire State Building were turned off as a sign of respect.
There was a vigil in Albert Square, Manchester, where a minute of silence was observed followed by speeches from members of the community along with speeches from Manchester Mayor Andy Burnam, Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Ian Hopkins, and poet Tony Walsh. Also on stage was the Home Secretary Amber Rudd, Opposition Leader Jeremy Corbyn, Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow, and Liberal Democrats leader Tim Farron. Various vigils were held in other places in the UK too, including London, Glasgow, Birmingham, Belfast, Coventry, Liverpool, Sheffield, Derby, Newcastle upon Tyne, Bolton, Swindon, Leeds, and Tarleton.
The Cannes film festival held a moment of silence on their red carpet a day after the attack. Formula One announced that teams would observe a minute's silence before the Monaco Grand Prix; promotional events were also suspended on 23 May.
ITV soap Coronation Street paid tribute to the victims in the episode following the attack, with a photograph with the words 'We Stand Together' shown in place of the usual sponsorship bumper at the end of the show. In addition to this, the ITV soap will also dedicate a bench on the set of the show for the victims. The transcription will read: "For Martyn and all those who lost their lives on 22nd May 2017. We Stand Together."
On 25 May, a national minute's silence was observed to remember the victims. Similar observances were also held at national-level sporting and music events in the days following the attack, including the 2017 FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium, the 2017 Scottish Cup Final, the 2017 Rugby Union Premiership Final at Twickenham, the 2017 Great Manchester Run, and Radio 1's Big Weekend, a music festival held in Kingston upon Hull. Manchester Victoria railway station, adjacent to Manchester Arena and closed in the aftermath of the bombing, reopened eight days later on 30 May, with a wreath laying ceremony attended by Burnham, Chris Grayling, the Secretary of State for Transport, and other public figures.
As a tribute to the victims, fans of Ariana Grande launched a campaign to get Grande's single, "One Last Time" to the number 1 position of the UK Singles Chart of which both the song and video did on iTunes. The song re-entered the UK Singles chart at number 11 for the week of 26 May 2017 – 1 June 2017, and reached number two the following week. Similarly, fans encouraged attendees of upcoming Shawn Mendes and Little Mix concerts to sing the song as a tribute before the beginning of their shows.
The attack was remembered on its first anniversary, by a service at Manchester Cathedral on 22 May 2018. Prince William and Prime Minister Theresa May joined victims families and friends at the service.

Ariana Grande

, whose concert had ended shortly before the explosion, posted on her official Twitter account: "broken. from the bottom of my heart, i am so so sorry. i don't have words." Her management team added that they "mourn the lives of children and loved ones taken by this cowardly act". The tweet briefly became the most-liked tweet in history.
Grande suspended her international Dangerous Woman Tour and returned to her mother's home in Florida. Concerts in London, Antwerp, Łódź, Frankfurt, and Zürich were cancelled.
In a statement released on 26 May, Grande said that she would return to the 'brave' city of Manchester to host a benefit concert to raise funds for the victims, and that she would "extend my hand and heart and everything I possibly can give to you and yours, should you want or need my help in any way". The One Love Manchester concert was subsequently announced for 4 June at Old Trafford Cricket Ground, with Grande being joined by artists including Coldplay, Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, Take That, Miley Cyrus and Pharrell Williams. Proceeds aided the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund, established after the attack by Manchester City Council and the British Red Cross. Tickets for the event sold out within twenty minutes of going on sale. In addition, some tickets were reserved for people who had been at the Manchester Arena Concert. Following the attack in London the day before the show, Greater Manchester Police announced that security would be tighter than planned. The concert was televised, and watched by more than 100 million people worldwide. It raised proceeds exceeding £10 million in the twelve hours following its conclusion.
Following the concert Grande re-released her 2014 single "One Last Time", with proceeds going to the We Love Manchester appeal. The song reached number 2 in the UK Singles Chart on 9 June. In April 2018, "No Tears Left to Cry", Grande's first new release since the bombing, reached number 2 in the UK Singles Chart. BBC News reported that the track's lyrics allude to the Manchester Arena bombing and the One Love Manchester concert. "Get Well Soon", the final song from Grande's 2018 album Sweetener, is long with 40 s of silence at the end; fans believe the song to be a tribute to the victims of the attack.
As part of a new scheme to recognise people who have made an outstanding contribution to Manchester, on 13 June, Manchester City Council announced plans to honour Grande with honorary citizenship of the city. On 12 July, members of the City Council voted unanimously to give her honorary citizenship.
On 22 May 2018, Grande tweeted her thoughts and love to her fans in remembrance of the attack.

Public figures

Columnist Katie Hopkins suggested the need for a "final solution", which was interpreted by some as calling for ethnic cleansing of the UK's Muslim population. However she then deleted her tweet and replaced the words "final solution" with "true solution". LBC, a London-based talk radio station on which Hopkins had hosted a Sunday morning programme since April 2016, subsequently announced that she would be leaving their presenting lineup immediately.
Comedian Rufus Hound wrote several tweets accusing the Conservative Party of committing the attack for electoral gains, comparing it to the Reichstag fire of 1933. He subsequently retracted the conspiracy theory following criticism from other Twitter users.
James Corden made a statement on his talk show, The Late Late Show with James Corden, expressing that people will "go to bed holding our little ones tighter" after the attacks. Fellow talk show host Ellen DeGeneres wrote on Twitter: "This story is so sad and so scary. Sending all my love to Manchester."
Former Presidents of the United States Barack Obama and Bill Clinton wrote: "Americans will always stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of the UK" and "senseless & vicious acts of terror never drive us apart," respectively.
Various celebrities expressed their condolences for the bombing, including Chris Evans, Anna Kendrick, Kim Kardashian, Nicole Kidman, Kendall Jenner, Harry Styles, Kylie Jenner, Zac Efron, Gary Lineker, David Beckham, Paris Hilton, Dwayne Johnson, Gigi Hadid, Ryan Seacrest and Jason Manford.
The cast of Victorious, the Nickelodeon sitcom in which Grande had a role, also offered their condolences.

Music industry

Many within the music industry showed their support for Grande and the victims of the attack. Vevo posted a five-second ad on YouTube, stating their sympathies with those affected in Manchester. American singer-songwriter Katy Perry condemned the bombing, stating she was "broken hearted" for everyone involved, and for "the state of this world". Canadian hip-hop artist Drake offered condolences to the victims of the bombing, adding that it was a "real fear" that he had while on his recent concert tour. American rapper Nicki Minaj, who has previously collaborated with Grande, said that her "heart hurts" after hearing about the attack. Further messages of condolence came from Christina Aguilera, All Saints, alt-J, Iggy Azalea, Bananarama, Justin Bieber, Mariah Carey, Alessia Cara, Camila Cabello, Sabrina Carpenter, Cher, Cheryl, Coldplay, Miley Cyrus, Lana Del Rey, DNCE, Fifth Harmony, Becky G, Liam Gallagher, Martin Garrix, Selena Gomez, Green Day, Ella Henderson, Niall Horan, Mick Hucknall, Nick Jonas, Lali, Kendrick Lamar, John Legend, Lights, Little Mix, Jennifer Lopez, Lorde, Demi Lovato, Madonna, Johnny Marr, Bruno Mars, John Mayer, Paul McCartney, Shawn Mendes, Kylie Minogue, Queen, OneRepublic, Liam Payne, Rihanna, Shakira, Ed Sheeran, Troye Sivan, Britney Spears, Linkin Park, Guns N' Roses, Harry Styles, Taylor Swift, Nathan Sykes, Take That, Justin Timberlake, Robbie Williams, You Me at Six, Halsey and many others.
Eminem and Justin Timberlake helped raise over $2 million for the victims. Liam Gallagher announced a solo gig at Manchester's O2 Ritz, the proceeds of which would be donated to a fund established by the families of the victims.
Some artists, such as Blondie, Kiss, and Take That, cancelled upcoming gigs to show respect for the victims. Other artists chose to go ahead with planned concerts as a sign of defiance against terrorism. On 27 May, Manchester indie group The Courteeners played a gig at Old Trafford cricket ground that was attended by a crowd of 50,000, and included supporting sets from The Charlatans, Blossoms and Cabbage, all of them Manchester groups. The venue was guarded by armed police.
Organisers of the 2017 Glastonbury Festival warned people attending the event they would face tighter security checks. Noel Gallagher donated proceeds from the sale of "Don't Look Back in Anger" to the We Love Manchester appeal after the song became an unofficial anthem of support for Manchester in the aftermath of the attacks.
On 9 July 2017, a performance to benefit the Manchester bombing victims was held in New York City's The Cutting Room, called "Break Free: United for Manchester", with Broadway theatre and television performers interpreting Ariana Grande songs. Performers include Alex Newell.

Religious groups

At a large public vigil held on Wednesday 24 May in Albert Square, Manchester the Bishop of Manchester, David Walker, shared a platform with Imam Irfan Chishti of Manchester Central Mosque and a number of other local religious leaders to jointly condemn the attack and to remember the victims. British Muslim groups, such as the Muslim Council of Britain and Ahmadi Muslims UK condemned the attack and expressed their condolences.
General Secretary of the Bible Society Egypt Ramez Attallah said "I was shocked this morning when I saw the scenes of the bloodshed. It remained me so much of when we had similar attacks in Egypt, this last year. My condolences to the families, to the orphans, to the parents that lost their children. And to the churches, as they try to comfort them. May God have mercy."
Secretary General Stefan Gustavsson of the Swedish Evangelical Alliance stated "It is with shock, sadness and anger, that we have received the news about the terror attack in Manchester. It is an attack, not only on the many individuals who were so tragically affected, but also on the civilization we are a part of."

Sporting organisations

ICC

The International Cricket Council suggested that the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, starting in June, could be in doubt after the bombing as a result of security issues. Tournament Director Steve Elworthy added that "our thoughts and condolences are with everyone who has been affected by this appalling atrocity. The security plan and planning process has been developed in line with, and reflects, the current threat level within the UK. We will be assessing and reviewing that security plan all the time. We've continually worked with the venues to help develop our plan. The readiness testing has been completed, so we are up to speed with all of that. The ICC, through David Richardson and ourselves have been in contact with all of the members and are in continual communication with them over the last 12 hours, and will continue to be in contact until the tournament kicks off."

UEFA

, in charge of the 2017 UEFA Europa League Final in Sweden between local club Manchester United and AFC Ajax, released a statement expressing "our thoughts are with the victims and families of those affected". They urged fans to arrive at the Friends Arena in Solna as early as possible due to tight security arrangements. These arrangements were already in place and scheduled since the attack in Stockholm earlier in the year. The opening ceremony was considerably reduced as a mark of respect for the victims and a minute's silence will be observed prior to the final. Manchester United players also wore black armbands for the victims of the bombing. After winning the match over Ajax, Manchester United dedicated the win to the city of Manchester, with several players stating "This is for you Manchester" in the wake of the attack.
Manchester United stated: "Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected, including our supporters, club staff and members of our community such as the children from our Manchester United Foundation partner schools who were attending the concert at the Arena." AFC Ajax stated: "From Amsterdam with love to Manchester. Our thoughts are with the victims and the loved ones of those affected."
UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin said: "I am deeply saddened by the horrible terrorist attack in Manchester last night. It shocks me that so many innocent people lost their lives and I would like to send my condolences to the families of those affected."
The band of the French Republican Guard covered Oasis' 1996 chart-topping hit "Don't Look Back in Anger" before a minute's silence was held, honouring both the victims of the Manchester attack and the subsequent London bridge attack on 3 June, prior to England's friendly against France in Paris on 13 June.

Manchester Tattoo Appeal

The worker bee has been a symbol of Manchester since the Industrial Revolution, when it was adopted in the city's :File:Arms of the City of Manchester.svg|coat of arms to represent industriousness, and bee motifs have been used to decorate various architectural features and street furniture in the city. In the aftermath of the bombing, the bee began to gain in popularity as a symbol of public unity against terrorism, appearing on protest banners and graffiti. A campaign was launched by a tattoo artist in Stalybridge to offer tattoos of the worker bee symbol for a £50 donation to support victims of the bombing. The Manchester Tattoo Appeal rapidly gained in popularity and spread to other tattoo parlours in Manchester and elsewhere. Grande was among those to have a bee tattoo, posting an image of it on her social media shortly after the first anniversary of the attack, along with the word "forever".

Reopening of Manchester Arena

On 16 August 2017, it was announced that Manchester Arena would reopen on 9 September, with a benefit concert featuring Noel Gallagher and other acts associated with the North West. On 5 September it was announced the concert would be broadcast live on BBC Radio Manchester, Key 103 and Radio X.