Editorial comment

The bombing at the Manchester Stadium was a horrific act, made all the worse, because the target was teenagers attending an Ariana Grande concert. At last count 22 were left dead and 59 were injured.

Grande had just finished her performance and the crowd was preparing to leave, when the explosion occurred. She is reported to be distraught and has announced that her world tour will be cancelled.

The scene at the time of the bombing

Such a senseless act of violence is hard for the sane world to understand and hearts everywhere go out to the victims, their families and friends. British and world leaders have expressed their condolences and the British 8 June election campaign has been suspended.

All the rumours aside, no one has claimed responsibility to date. At this time, it is not known whether this was the act of a lone perpetrator, or involved more people. Apparently, the bomber was Salman Abedi, aged 22. He died in the explosion.

Unfortunately, the Rupert Murdoch’s Sun decided to run a front page headline, just hours after the bombing, saying that accused Labour Leader Jeremy Corbin and his deputy John MacDonnell of being supporters of bombers. To cynically use a tragedy in this way is beyond a disgrace. Especially when the story is a fabrication.

Prime Minister Teresa May is now going to call a meeting of the government’s emergency Cobra committee.

Acts of terror like this are designed to sow fear into a population. In this respect it works, so long as the reaction is based on this fear. Theresa May has already announced a greater presence of the army in policing affairs.

When this happens, terror against the innocent is proved to be an effective weapon and it creates the scenario for an ongoing escalation of acts of terror and responses by means of the growth of repressive government.

At this point, there is no evidence that this was the objective in Manchester. People should not draw hasty conclusions. This is a step towards the militarisation of society. With it comes the gradual erosion of civil rights. The matter is mentioned, because there will inevitably be those who will act inappropriately in these emotional circumstances.

The thousands who have turned up at the vigil at Albert Square in the shattered city have shown the way. Their answer to the hate of the bomber is love, pulling together and not letting tragedy bring further destruction.

Community comes together as it mourns the loss

Beware of leaders who would take us down the path hate, more blood and the loss of freedom for us all,for their own reasons or those of their backers

Poet Tony Walsh delivers stunning ode at the Manchester vigil