Philly to Hold Vigil for Manchester Terrorist Attack Victims
People attend a vigil in Albert Square, Manchester, England, Tuesday May 23, 2017, the day after the suicide attack at an Ariana Grande concert that left 22 people dead as it ended on Monday night. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Following a horrific terrorist attack that left 22 people dead and at least 59 wounded in Manchester, England last night, two Philly groups with connections to the British city will hold a solidarity vigil for the victims.
The “Philly Loves Manchester” vigil, organized by the Manchester United Football Club of Philly and the Manchester City Supports Club of Philly, will be held between 5 and 8 p.m. at City Hall.
Police say that Salman Abedi, a 22-year-old British man whose parents had emigrated from Libya, detonated a homemade bomb outside an arena where an Ariana Grande concert was ending around 10:30 p.m. last night. People who attended the show – many teenagers and children – were making their way to a nearby train station when Abedi allegedly detonated the bomb in a public concourse, killing himself in the process.
The Philly vigil will observe a brief moment of silence at 5:35 p.m. – will which mark about 24 hours since the attack occurred.
Manchester United and Manchester City are (as most people know) rival soccer teams. Mike Formento of the Manchester United group said he and Chrissy Rockwell of the Manchester City club “want to get together and, whether you’ve been to Manchester or not, show our support for all the families and victims.”
The groups are seeking people from Manchester to speak at the vigil. Those who are interested should message the MUFC’s Facebook page.
Police are still attempting to find more information on Abedi and the victims of the attack. For more information on the attack, check out this live briefing by the New York Times.
Follow @ClaireSasko on Twitter.
