Britain20 August, 20262 min read
Andy Burnham Marks UK’s First National Day for Victims and Survivors of Terrorism in Central London
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UK marks first National Day for Victims and Survivors of Terrorism with ceremony in Central London. Date chosen to coincide with the United Nations International Day.
First Terror Victims Day
Britain marked its first National Day for Victims and Survivors of Terrorism with a ceremony in Central London that included a two-minute silence for those lost to and affected by terrorism.
The UK government said the day would be observed annually on 21 August, following years of campaigning and with a focus on remembering and recognising those impacted by terrorism.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: "Today matters because it says you are not alone. You have not been forgotten."
Security Minister Dan Jarvis said: "We will never allow terrorism to divide us."
Survivor Pushes Recognition
A survivor of the 7/7 London bombings, Dan Biddle, told GB News that the terrorism threat in the UK is "real" as the nation marked the first-ever victims’ remembrance day. Biddle said: "I think days like this are needed because the threat of terrorism is real."
The BBC reported that Travis Frain, injured in the 2017 Westminster Bridge attack, said the day aims to recognise those impacted by terrorism and encourage people to "keep an eye on each other" as "we all have a role to play" in stopping terrorism. Frain told the BBC: "As a society, it is right and morally correct that we should be remembering those lost to terrorism," linking remembrance to a continuing role in prevention.
Accountability and Support
The BBC said the day includes an event in London on Friday afternoon with a two-minute silence and readings, while future years will stage events in locations around the UK. Travis Frain told the BBC that recognition and memorials "often go under the radar," and he argued victims are "often not targeted as individuals but as representatives of something far greater".
The BBC also reported that Survivors Against Terror warned the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority process dehumanises people, with Brendan Cox saying: "survivors also want it to be a moment of accountability." In the same BBC report, Lisa Ghiggini, who survived the Fishmonger's Hall attack in 2019, said: "At the moment we still have members who don't have the resources to build a downstairs toilet" following attacks that left them struggling to walk.