Yahoo News Finsbury Park terror attack: Sajid Javid comforts distraught woman after terror
A Tory minister comforted a distraught woman near the site of the Finsbury Park terror attack, telling her to “stay strong”.
Communities and Local Government Secretary Sajid Javid could be seen comforting a woman, who was visibly shaking, outside the police cordon.
He paused to speak with her as she wiped away tears with a tissue.
The footage has emerged days after Theresa May, already under pressure after a botched snap election, was heavily criticised over what many described as her inadequate response to the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
On Thursday, she met emergency services at the fire site but did not meet locals or visit residents, volunteers and community leaders.
And the next day, she was rushed away under heavy police guard on Friday as protesters shouted “Shame on you” after she met residents who live near the tower block in London where at least 79 people died in a fire.
For the latest updates from the Finsbury Park attack, click here
Mr Javid condemned what he described as an attack on innocent people.
He said he will seek advice from the local community as to what measures the authorities can take to give Muslims across the country “maximum reassurance” that they are being protected.
“The perpetrator of this attack – and those terrible attacks that we saw recently in Manchester and London – their intention is to seek to divide society. My message to them is that they will always, always fail,” he said.
“This Government will always take a zero-tolerance approach to hate crime – including anti-Muslim hate crime – wherever we find it.
“I want to reassure both the local Muslim community but also Muslims across the United Kingdom that they will always have the support of this Government in fighting anti-Muslim hate crime.”
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Flowers have been laid near the scene, with one card reading: “This is an attack on all Londoners – and on my community.”
Another read: “I was so sorry to hear the news this morning. #NotInMyName”.
A white van was driven into a crowd of Muslim worshippers in the early hours of this morning. The attack was targeted against a crowd leaving the Finsbury Park mosque after Ramadan prayers.
A 48-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, and is currently in custody. The incident is being treated as terrorism.
