About Vigils?

[gunsandbanjos]

There's always a mass vigil after terrorist incidents and they just give me shivers. Those people feel like sitting ducks.

I understand people want to show defiance but I keep thinking it won't be long before they are targeted.

What a revolting and ill timed thread.

I know exactly what you mean OP

In what way is it revolting and ill timed?

These lunatics like soft targets and what is softer than thousands of people standing out in the open?

It's a genuine concern, you can virtually guarantee a vigil after one of these dreadful events and these guys will know that.

But I've never known a vigil to be attacked.

Sometimes there are times to stand up and be counted. Standing together against evil. To be brave.

Not yet Herbie, for which I'm sure we are all grateful. They just scare me.

My teenager is just home from the Manchester vigil

He wanted to pay his respects with his friends, all together. These events facilitate that. The atmosphere on a warm sunny evening in a beautiful part of a devastated city was profound

I am glad he went. He will remember these events all his life.

You're statistically safer than ever immediately after a terrorist attack.

They are important, but I agree when looking at the large crowd attending they looked quite vulnerable. People have a need to go though.

Just some breaking news about an attack with a knife at the Birmingham vigil, so some bastard had the same idea OP.

That's good to hear anyfucker.

I am fully onboard with community pulling together and standing up against these evils.

I just can't shake the nagging fear in the back of my mind.

I agree that there is nothing revolting and ill timed about this. It's a good question. Never known a vigil be attacked though. Let's hope one never is.

And I think people get together to show solidarity and to show that we will not be scared.

I get the fear, guns

He asked me if he could go and I hesitated. But only for a split second.

It's a difficult line to walk between looking out for the safety of our children and letting them do what they need to do.

I have to say, this was also my first thought when I saw the photo of the vigil in my nearest city this evening. That isn't to say I think they shouldn't happen. They should l, absolutely! But I also think it could be an "easy" target for anyone who was planning another attack.

The atmosphere would have been incredible.

I thought the same thing, sadly. It made me think of the peace rally bombing in Ankara a couple of years ago.

I hope people still turn out for events like this though, it's important for the community to come together in solidarity.

I went to the Manchester vigil today. I felt safe. I also found the experience very healing after a day of numbness- the silence as Tony Walsh spoke was electric.

It's a worrying thought. And I wouldn't he surprised, they attacked a concert full of children and young people. How long before they attack vigils.

There was an incident at the vigil in Birmingham today. One man arrested. He was carrying a knife and a baseball bat.

I think vigils like that are important...psychologically, for individuals, and in bringing communities together. There is risk, yes, but the positive gains of coming together and finding collective strength are massive for a wounded community.

I've had the same sad thoughts OP. However I do agree that they are so important in showing our solidarity. It's a difficult situation really

My DS who is at Uni in Manchester was caught up in the crowd last night and was quite shaken when I spoke to him this morning.

I spoke to him again just after the vigil and he sounded so much better, he said ther was a real feeling of solidarity.

People need to share their experiences. Policing would be very high profile.

I thought the same as the OP when I saw the vigil on the news.

But it's important for people to come together, for many reasons.

And realistically, schools, hospitals, churches, train stations, shopping centres and anywhere else people come together would be perfect for a terrorist to do maximum harm

Because of the nature and reason for a vigil they are usually at very short notice so for one to be attacked it would have to be pre planned in conjunction with a first attack.

When the first attack happens though police are so on to the terrorists involved and anything and anyone connected, so there'd be very little chance of being able to carry out a vigil attack without the police finding out of the plans first.