Little is known about the perpetrator and more information will no doubt, come to light. Many of us have visited the Promenade des Anglais in Nice and have celebrated the fireworks show which makes up part of the celebrations. This attack brings home how terrorism affects all our lives, but yesterday evening, it directly affected hundreds of families who have lost loved ones just trying to celebrate their country and its heritage.
We hope that communities may come together and re-enforce the very values that were being celebrated in France. Equality, liberty and fraternity underpin all that we regard as being central to our societies and communities and this means that we cannot allow extremists and terrorists to divide us. When we grieve for those who have died and suffered in Nice, we must honour them by holding onto these values and cherishing them, whilst we redouble our efforts against extremism and terrorism.
Our thoughts are with those in France and those in Iraq, Turkey and the many countries that have been affected by terrorism. Their lives matters and their memories will remain alive when we think of those three words – ‘Liberte, Egalite and Fraternite.‘