The attack occured in north London shortly after midnight
Lily Allen and J.K. Rowling have spoken out after a terror attack outside a mosque in Finsbury Park.
Worshippers were leaving Finsbury Park Mosque in north London just after midnight when a van mounted the pavement and ploughed into a group of people – with police confirming the arrest of a 48-year-old man on suspicion of attempted murder.
The Metropolitan Police has also said that a man who was present at the scene has died, but it hasn’t been confirmed if his death was directly related to the attack.
Posting on Twitter shortly after the incident was confirmed, Lily Allen claimed that the attacker had been ‘radicalized by the British media’.
Radicalized by the British media. #FinsburyPark
— lily #labourtine🎈 (@lilyallen) June 19, 2017
The replies I'm getting are abhorrent. This has attracted the worst of the worst.
— lily #labourtine🎈 (@lilyallen) June 19, 2017
She also deleted a string of subsequent tweets after claiming to have received ‘abhorrent’ replies.
Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling also attacked press coverage of the attack. She wrote: “Victim blaming in the usual newspapers is disgusting.”
Victim blaming in the usual newspapers is disgusting. #FinsburyPark mosque won an award for combating extremism. https://t.co/xhmfpmSubN
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 19, 2017
Other tributes came from Get Cape Wear Cape Fly singer Sam Duckworth, who called for unity.
He wrote: “My heart breaks for Britain. We have to work out how to fix the messes created. Division, injustice, hatred, people dying for no reason”.
My heart breaks for Britain. We have to work out how to fix the messes created. Division, injustice, hatred, people dying for no reason.
— getcapewearcapefly🎈 (@forgetcape) June 19, 2017
The Metropolitan Police have also confirmed that extra policing resources will be available in the aftermath of the attack.
“The investigation of the incident is being carried out by the Counter Terrorism Command”, a statement confirmed.
“At this early stage of this investigation, no other suspects at the scene have been identified or reported to police, however the investigation continues. Due to the nature of this incident extra policing resources have been deployed in order to reassure communities, especially those observing Ramadan.”
