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| Woolwich killing: residents reflect on murder of Lee Rigby | Woolwich killing: residents reflect on murder of Lee Rigby |
| (4 months later) | |
| From al-Muhajiroun's open-air stall on Powis Street, where suspect Michael Olumide Adebolajo was a volunteer, it is a five-minute walk to the Royal Artillery Barracks, where Drummer Lee Rigby was hacked to death in broad daylight. | From al-Muhajiroun's open-air stall on Powis Street, where suspect Michael Olumide Adebolajo was a volunteer, it is a five-minute walk to the Royal Artillery Barracks, where Drummer Lee Rigby was hacked to death in broad daylight. |
| A small white and blue tent marked the location on Thursday; police had cordoned off the road; locals left floral tributes on the wall of Woolwich's green-signed jobcentre. London's mayor Boris Johnson swept into the municipal building to meet officials. A few people heckled him. | A small white and blue tent marked the location on Thursday; police had cordoned off the road; locals left floral tributes on the wall of Woolwich's green-signed jobcentre. London's mayor Boris Johnson swept into the municipal building to meet officials. A few people heckled him. |
| As the political class groped towards a response to Wednesday's horror, people from Woolwich were pondering what – if any – conclusions could be drawn from this shocking incident, for them and for their multicultural, multi-faith community. "For someone to do this changes the whole harmony of life," Amrik Singh reflected, adding his flowers to the pile. "It's just terrible really that something like this can happen on our doorstep." | As the political class groped towards a response to Wednesday's horror, people from Woolwich were pondering what – if any – conclusions could be drawn from this shocking incident, for them and for their multicultural, multi-faith community. "For someone to do this changes the whole harmony of life," Amrik Singh reflected, adding his flowers to the pile. "It's just terrible really that something like this can happen on our doorstep." |
| For Atma Singh, a long-term Woolwich resident and a former advisor to Ken Livingstone, the answer was clear: Westminster had been dozing and needed to take a tougher approach towards Islamist extremism. "You have to create an environment where there is a clampdown on terrorism advocacy," he said. "I also think the intelligence services need to step up. It's a huge effort. And there are lots of sensitivities involved with home-grown terrorism since you are dealing with British citizens." | For Atma Singh, a long-term Woolwich resident and a former advisor to Ken Livingstone, the answer was clear: Westminster had been dozing and needed to take a tougher approach towards Islamist extremism. "You have to create an environment where there is a clampdown on terrorism advocacy," he said. "I also think the intelligence services need to step up. It's a huge effort. And there are lots of sensitivities involved with home-grown terrorism since you are dealing with British citizens." |
| "But I think not enough has been done to get into these radical groups. This is a failure. Politicians have taken their eye off the terrorism issue. People thought we are pulling out of Afghanistan and Iraq, so we'll be OK. But Syria is going on. You have lots of points were extremists congregate. The number of young people going from the UK to Syria is huge. Perhaps not from Woolwich, but certainly from London." | "But I think not enough has been done to get into these radical groups. This is a failure. Politicians have taken their eye off the terrorism issue. People thought we are pulling out of Afghanistan and Iraq, so we'll be OK. But Syria is going on. You have lots of points were extremists congregate. The number of young people going from the UK to Syria is huge. Perhaps not from Woolwich, but certainly from London." |
| For sure, Woolwich is one of London's most ethnically diverse areas. The borough is home to numerous faiths - Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims and Christians. And to a kaleidoscope of different nationalities: Nigerians, Congolese, Nepalese, Gujaratis, Tamils, Vietnamese, eastern Europeans, and many others. | For sure, Woolwich is one of London's most ethnically diverse areas. The borough is home to numerous faiths - Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims and Christians. And to a kaleidoscope of different nationalities: Nigerians, Congolese, Nepalese, Gujaratis, Tamils, Vietnamese, eastern Europeans, and many others. |
| Tensions are rising. Hours after the murder, supporters of the English Defence League pelted the police with bottles and chanted anti-Muslim slogans, a response both ominous and predictable. | Tensions are rising. Hours after the murder, supporters of the English Defence League pelted the police with bottles and chanted anti-Muslim slogans, a response both ominous and predictable. |
| "What's behind all this is immigration. It's got to be stopped," said Robert Irvine, a 63-year-old Scot who has lived in Woolwich for more than three decades. Irvine, who lives two minutes away from the murder scene, said the two suspects should be hanged if they were convicted, "otherwise they will spend 20 years in Belmarsh prison at the ratepayers' expense. This has got to change". | "What's behind all this is immigration. It's got to be stopped," said Robert Irvine, a 63-year-old Scot who has lived in Woolwich for more than three decades. Irvine, who lives two minutes away from the murder scene, said the two suspects should be hanged if they were convicted, "otherwise they will spend 20 years in Belmarsh prison at the ratepayers' expense. This has got to change". |
| Irvine, one of those who heckled Johnson, said both Labour and the Tories had failed. "We need to try a far right-wing party like the National Front." | Irvine, one of those who heckled Johnson, said both Labour and the Tories had failed. "We need to try a far right-wing party like the National Front." |
| Such views may reflect hardening attitudes towards immigration at a time of austerity and with Ukip on the rise. But they were not universal. Other Woolwich residents said immigration and its impact on the local community had little to do with the soldier's murder. "The problem is radical Islamists trying to gain a bit of infamy and trying to incite hatred," said Josh Clerkin, a 22-year-old barman, as he dropped off a bunch of carnations. "This was an absolutely sadistic crime." | Such views may reflect hardening attitudes towards immigration at a time of austerity and with Ukip on the rise. But they were not universal. Other Woolwich residents said immigration and its impact on the local community had little to do with the soldier's murder. "The problem is radical Islamists trying to gain a bit of infamy and trying to incite hatred," said Josh Clerkin, a 22-year-old barman, as he dropped off a bunch of carnations. "This was an absolutely sadistic crime." |
| Inside Woolwich town hall, a group of immigrants were going through a British citizenship ceremony. The wood-panelled council chamber had been decked in Union flags; a loudspeaker was playing the march from Colonel Bogey, followed by Vivaldi's Four (non-British?) Seasons. | Inside Woolwich town hall, a group of immigrants were going through a British citizenship ceremony. The wood-panelled council chamber had been decked in Union flags; a loudspeaker was playing the march from Colonel Bogey, followed by Vivaldi's Four (non-British?) Seasons. |
| A Polish photographer, Anna, was taking photographs of the applicants declaring their oath of loyalty to the Queen. One of its paragraphs reads: "I will respect the UK's right and freedoms. I will respect its democratic values." A marble statute of a former Queen, Victoria, stood on the balcony. | A Polish photographer, Anna, was taking photographs of the applicants declaring their oath of loyalty to the Queen. One of its paragraphs reads: "I will respect the UK's right and freedoms. I will respect its democratic values." A marble statute of a former Queen, Victoria, stood on the balcony. |
| "What happened here in Woolwich was horrible," said Kalosh Fostino after picking up his new citizenship certificate. Fostino, 45, said he was originally from Zambia and had been living in Woolwich for eight years and was working for a chemicals' firm. Britain, and Woolwich, was preferable to home, he said. | "What happened here in Woolwich was horrible," said Kalosh Fostino after picking up his new citizenship certificate. Fostino, 45, said he was originally from Zambia and had been living in Woolwich for eight years and was working for a chemicals' firm. Britain, and Woolwich, was preferable to home, he said. |
| After all the bigwigs left, a group of teenagers from Woolwich Polytechnic school milled around the police cordon in their uniforms. Sam Godwin, 15, said he was born in Woolwich but his family were Nigerian; his friend Jazz, also 15, said he had a Nigerian mum and a British dad. Since the murder and news that Adebolajo was of Nigerian origin, the atmosphere at school had grown darker, he said. | After all the bigwigs left, a group of teenagers from Woolwich Polytechnic school milled around the police cordon in their uniforms. Sam Godwin, 15, said he was born in Woolwich but his family were Nigerian; his friend Jazz, also 15, said he had a Nigerian mum and a British dad. Since the murder and news that Adebolajo was of Nigerian origin, the atmosphere at school had grown darker, he said. |
| Godwin said: "Some of the white kids at my school have been saying offensive things, like: "Why don't you go back to where you came from?" They support the EDL. | Godwin said: "Some of the white kids at my school have been saying offensive things, like: "Why don't you go back to where you came from?" They support the EDL. |
| "But I was born here in Woolwich. It's my home. These comments are really annoying." | "But I was born here in Woolwich. It's my home. These comments are really annoying." |
| What would happen now? "There will be more attacks. More from the EDL and more from radical Muslims," he said. | What would happen now? "There will be more attacks. More from the EDL and more from radical Muslims," he said. |
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