London Mayor Sadiq Khan & the Normalization of Terrorist Violence

In an article dated 6 September 2016, Sadiq Khan, the first Islamic mayor of London, stated that terror attacks are “part and parcel of living in a big city” and he encouraged Londoners to be vigilant in order to combat dangers. In a single quote, Khan managed to rhetorically normalize violence aimed at the very heart of the British state and its people; and he also placed the onus of maintaining security in the capital on the citizenry themselves.

You have to be kidding me?!: Terror attacks are part of living in big city, says London Mayor Sadiq Khan https://t.co/uSm2pwRTjO

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) March 22, 2017

Khan redeems himself slightly when he stated that “Nothing is more important to me than keeping Londoners safe…I want to be reassured [sic] that every single agency and individual involved in protecting our city has the resources and expertise they need to respond in the event that London is attacked.”

The mayor of London offered further platitudes on the subject of emergency preparedness and community engagement, but offered no explanations as to the source of escalating violence in London. The United Kingdom’s suicidal level of migrant intake has exponentially exacerbated the terrorist threat. The notion that a Muslim mayor would do anything to address the true cause of Islamic terrorism, aggression, and violence by pointing at the community that elected him is a laughable one.

Khan’s words about securing London ring hollow today, on Wednesday 22 March 2017, as the head of counterterrorism at London’s Metropolitan Police, Mark Rowley, announced that four people died including one police officer and an attacker just outside of Parliament.

Rowley stated that 20 people were wounded and Parliament was locked down. The lockdown occurred after a vehicle struck several people on nearby Westminster Bridge.

“There were people across the bridge. There were some with minor injuries, some catastrophic,” said Dr. Colleen Anderson of St. Thomas’s Hospital. “Some had injuries they could walk away from or who have life changing injuries.” Witnesses said a vehicle struck several people, and photos showed a car that had plowed into the railings. Still photos and video on Twitter depict several people laying injured on the bridge.

Inside the Parliament buildings, witnesses heard what sounded like gunfire. David Lidington, Lord President of the Council & Leader of the House of Commons, stated that an assailant at Parliament had been shot and that there were reports of other violence nearby. According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) an anonymous witness reported: “I was at a government meeting…and the building was declared to be on lockdown…I think we are entering an era where we’re going to see these sort of lone crazy acts.”

Another witness, James Glancy, was close by at the time: “A 4X4 [truck] seems to have deliberately…knocked over a bunch of pedestrians…It was quite clear there had been an attack.”

George Eaton, a writer for the New Statesman, from his vantage point of the Parliamentary press gallery, said that he saw police shoot a man who charged police officers. He went on to say that “A large crowd was seen fleeing the man before he entered the parliamentary estate. After several officers evaded him he was swiftly shot by armed police.”