Manchester Arena Bombing: 8 Years of Tragedy
On May 22, 2017, horror struck at the Manchester Arena when a suicide bomber hit just after an Ariana Grande concert. The blast killed 22 people, many of them kids and teens, and left over 800 injured.
- The youngest victim, Saffie-Rose Roussos, was just 8 years old.
- The attacker, Salman Abedi, a British-born man of Libyan descent, acted alone but had extremist links.
- This remains one of the UK’s worst terror attacks since the 7/7 bombings.
A public inquiry in 2023 uncovered major security failings and poor intelligence sharing that may have let the attack slip through the cracks.
Lee Rigby Murder: 12 Years On
Exactly four years earlier on May 22, 2013, Fusilier Lee Rigby, aged 25, was savagely killed outside Woolwich Barracks in London by two Islamic extremists, Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale.
- The killers ran him down with a car before attacking him with knives and a cleaver in broad daylight.
- Their claimed motive: revenge for Britain’s military actions in Muslim countries.
Lee’s murder rocked the nation and became a chilling symbol of homegrown extremism. Annual tributes at his Woolwich memorial and the 1 keep his legacy alive, supporting bereaved military families.
We Will Never Forget
Today, we remember the 22 victims of the Manchester Arena bombing and Fusilier Lee Rigby, taken too soon in acts of senseless violence. Their memories burn brightly in the heart of a nation united against hate.
#Manchester22 #LeeRigby #NeverForget #22May
