To think we should avoid London right now?

You need to do what you need to do. I live in zone 3 and am off into central London tonight. I work in central London. I was a student here during the IRA years, lost one friend in 9/11 (in a conference in the twin towers) and one friend on a bus in 7/7. I remember leaving a party in central London on the night of the London Bridge bombs as I thought the tubes would stop.

We carried on life as normal otherwise. I am fairly calm about it all.

I live very near a Jewish area and have Jewish friends and colleagues. Some have kids at Jewish schools and nurseries who are feeling understandably anxious. It’s a horrid feeling. Like my Muslim cousins who wear headscarves got so much abuse after 9/11 etc. People can be vile.

Bur my close Jewish colleague still is coming to work in central London as she told me that it stops her obsessively checking the news. And it distracts her from worrying about her young brother in the Israeli army right now.

It is a personal decision. Do what you have to do to feel safe.

Hmmmm. You are not Jewish and yet feel like you’re going to get attacked if you go to London. Why?

The IRA killed around 600 civilians during the Troubles.

I’d honestly feel totally fine with anything, not so much worried about High St Ken but aware it would be manic in the actual station. It’s not any further to use alternative stations, but the tune in general is fine. That station is just crowded at anytime and will be a meeting point. It gets crowded and overcrowded at the best of times and I dislike it. Maybe I’m already biased. It’s just a risk of noise and stess

I was a very young child in London in the late 80s early 90s when the IRA were still around. I survived.

Why on earth would you not have survived the IRA?!

I categorically have not mocked anyone. You are either failing in reading comprehension or deliberately misrepresenting what I have said. Shame on you.

But if you decide to cancel your plans because of terrorists then you are living your life in fear of it which isn't healthy imo.

If you can reschedule then I would. Not so much because I think the risk is unacceptably high, but because you would be so tense and stressed that you would be unlikely to enjoy it.

Well no, but the OP isn't asking about stopping living - she's asking about a relatively small (and presumably, feasible), change to plans. People make accommodations or adjust their own (sometimes subconscious) risk controls all the time depending on circumstances.

You have to do what makes you feel comfortable, OP - no-one on here telling you that lots of other people are carrying on as normal is likely to make a difference.

Wanted to ask Londoners on here what their perceptions are of how things are on the ground - obviously due to experience my opinion would be biased, and the media can distort/offer narrow view.

I live in a very Jewish area of London which also has a high islamic population (though not arabic islam) and have noticed no difference. No change to the private security that always exists, school open as normal, people walking about doing their business as normal etc.

BlurredEdges: the manifestation of anti semitism is horrific. I am so sorry. We all need to take note.

But for visitors in Central London the situation is different.

I realise that that in itself is isolating.

We don’t need an announcement to stand against terrorism and terrorists.

@StayorgoLDN I’m going into London next week and it hadn’t crossed my mind to cancel - it will be business as normal in London.

I’m not Jewish, if that makes a difference or not to my feelings I don’t know.

What utter rot! I am on my way to London today, & will go again next month.
Even if you think there is a risk (& if there is one, it's tiny), don't you think it's giving in to terrorism to run away. Please don't teach your children to be scared, that would be awful for them.

Wow, nice way to mock someone's genuine fears.

Protests mainly peaceful but loud, north London Jewish communities are affectively living in fear though unless you know people from there most don’t register this. My understanding is lots of vigils this weekend not just protests. Protests around Israeli embassy, central London area.
I generally avoid central London with my autistic child anyway as it’s too busy and crowded

I have lived here through IRA, 7/7, nail bombs. Would you enjoy the trip if you are worried?

Exactly you are many times more like to have a car accident than be in danger in London.

@DottieMoon because pro Israeli protests won't involve threats to the public, burning of flags and masked rioters

I live in London, about to head into Central London as I did yesterday, it’s a massive place with lots of different areas. I am not near Green Lanes or areas identified as Jewish, or near embassies and Things seem entirely normal.

My mum and dad lived and worked in London at the height of the IRA threats. You can't stop living because of a theoretical risk.

Unless someone on here is actively planning a bomb attack, then no one can tell you what to do… If you’re not going to enjoy your day because you’re going to be too stressed then don’t go. I live in London and it would never cross my mind to change my plans in the circumstances, I’m actually much more worried about bedbugs on the tube at the moment than I am about on a terrorist attack (which is not to say, I’m not deeply worried about what’s going on in the Middle East in general). But no, don’t force yourself to do something you don’t fancy

It’s awful but the OP has specifically pointed out that they are not Jewish.

After 9/11, those of middle eastern and Asian (subcontinent) descent did not feel safe and were disproportionately stopped at airports etc but their experience would not have been relevant to those of other descent in the same situation.

We are not Jews, but presuming as the U.K. is supporting Israel that we’ll all be fair game ie there might be an attack/bomb somewhere prominent to send a message to gov.

Well Britain is in part responsible for Israel & obviously the War on Terror impacted a fair few innocents. So I suppose we their is justification for an attack on us.

I grew up in zone 2, now live in zone 1. I must say, this would never have occurred to me.