Today, Londoners will mark the 7 year anniversary of the July 7th bombings, which shook Britain to the core and saw the capital city hugely upgrading security measures in the following years. The 7/7 bombings were one of the worst terrorist acts in the UK to date, with fifty two innocent people losing their lives and a further 700 suffering from injuries caused by the succession of attacks.
However, this summer, security has once more been stepped up in London, due to the influx of visitors to Britain for the Olympic Games. With the eyes of the world trained firmly on the UK, our Government is anxious to show that, while Britain is not in a panic about potential terrorist activity, spectators and athletes participating in the Games will be safe wherever they are, whether this is on the public transport services in the city or inside the Olympic commercial properties themselves.
Some examples of heightened security measures include the mooring of the Royal Navy’s largest warship on the Thames, capable of dealing with aerial attacks on the capital city. Fighter jets will make regular patrols of the London airspace, while on the ground thousands of police officers will carry out patrols and security exercises, based in and around some of London’s most high profile commercial properties.
Yet the real question is – will these measures be enough to protect London’s people and commercial properties from an attack? The Olympic Games is arguably one of the biggest international events running today, and with recent events such as various revolutions and foreign military operations causing friction on the world stage, organisers are right to be concerned about the risks that come along with hosting an event of such magnitude.
The transport network in London proved to be a weak spot in July 2005, as the underground network and bus routes were targeted successfully by the bombers. Passengers were forced to evacuate the train carriages and walk between commercial property tube stations following several blasts, while a bomb caused devastating effects when detonated on a bus in Tavistock Square.
Clearly, then, security must be a top priority this summer, with the city playing host to a wealth of foreign dignitaries and world famous athletes, as well as millions of spectators. However, controversy has already been sparked with the Government’s decision to protect the city by any means necessary.
Surface to air missiles have been placed on the rooftops of several residential buildings throughout the city, with the aim of preventing an incident such as the September 11th attacks on the Twin Tower commercial properties in New York. Yet residents of the buildings in question may yet quash these plans, as they have taken their plight to the high court, citing anxiety at the thought of these missiles being, literally, “on top of their heads.”
The main arena and Athletes Village, meanwhile, will be secured and locked down ahead of the opening ceremony on July 27th, after which anyone wishing to gain access to the commercial properties will be fully searched by security. Spectators are not allowed to bring bottled liquids into any participating Olympics commercial properties as a further security measure.
On this, the anniversary of the 7/7 bombings, the focus of the nation may well be more centred on the upcoming Olympic Games. However, for all the negative press the heightened security measures are attracting, perhaps we should instead be remembering the people who lost their lives that day, and conceding that we may well be grateful for the Government’s vigilance should an incident occur.
