M Shahed Rahman, London:
To mark the 20 anniversary of London nail bomb attacks Brick Lane Act of Remembrance was held on Wednesday 24 April in front of Brick Lane Police Station with candle light vigil for the victims & the injured of Brixton, Brick Lane and Soho.
The 1999 London nail bombings were a series of bomb explosions that took place over three successive weekends. The first attack took place on 17 April in Brixton, second on 24 April in Brick Lane and the finally on 30 April in Soho. Fortunately, no one was killed in Brixton and Brick Lane bombing but unfortunately three people lost their lives in the Soho attack.
The second bomb, on Saturday 24 April was aimed at Brick Lane in the East End of London targeting the large Bengali community. There is a street market on Sundays but the perpetrator mistakenly tried to plant the bomb on Saturday when the street was less busy. Unwilling to change the timer on the bomb, he left it instead in a bag on Hanbury Street. There it was picked up by a man, who brought it to the police station on Brick Lane, which was closed at the time. He had placed it in the boot of his car which was parked outside Café Naz on Brick Lane, where it exploded. Thirteen people were injured, and surrounding buildings and cars were severely damaged. At the time, worshippers were gathering outside the Brick Lane Mosque for prayers.
At the Remembrance John Biggs, Mayor of Tower Hamlets stressed the need of unity of all communities and stated Tower Hamlets as a place of no hate. Mark Healey, Founder of Hate Crime Awareness Week reminded the bomb attack carried out by Neo Nazi militant & former member of BNP killed three people in Soho, including a pregnant woman, and injured 140 people, four of whom lost limbs. LGBT Poet Laureate Trudy Howson recited a poem and the event ended with a minute silence for the victims. A plaque was mounted on the wall next to police station as a reminder. The event was attended by local community & anti-racist activists, Cllrs, Police Commander, senior Council officials and Emdad Talukder who was injured in the Brick Lane blast.