2015 Leytonstone tube station attack

December 2015 London Underground attack

Leytonstone tube station
Location Leytonstone, London, United Kingdom
Date 5 December 2015
19:06–19:14 (GMT)
Target Members of the public
Attack type
 Stabbing
Weapons Knife
Deaths 0
Non-fatal injuries
 3
Suspected perpetrator
 Muhaydin Mire
Participant 1
Motive Not yet determined

On 5 December 2015, a man attacked three passengers on the London Underground using what was described as a 3-inch (7.5 cm) knife. The attack took place at Leytonstone station in east London.

One of the three victims was seriously injured, and the other two sustained minor stab wounds. The suspected perpetrator was named as 29-year-old Muhaydin Mire of Leytonstone.[1]

Incident

The Police were called to reports of a series of stabbings at Leytonstone station. The male suspect was reportedly threatening other people with the Stanley knife he had used in the stabbings. Officers from the Metropolitan Police Service attended the scene. During the attack, the suspect was reported to have declared: "This is for Syria, my Muslim brothers."[2] The phrase: "This is for Syria", is the statement used by the perpetrators of the shooting at the Bataclan theatre during the November 2015 Paris attacks.[3] The attacker also shouted, "all your blood will be spilled".[4]

Some bystanders pelted the perpetrator with bottles while another shouted "put it down [the knife] you fool". Others filmed the scene on their mobile phones.[5]

At 19:14, the suspect was arrested taken to a police station in east London where he remains in custody. A Taser was used by one of the officers during the arrest. One victim sustained serious, but not life-threatening, knife injuries. Two others were treated for minor injuries.[6]

One bystander apparently confronted the perpetrator and received a cut to his neck. The bystander criticised others for recording the incident rather than aiming to stop the assailant.[7] A junior doctor was present at the scene of the stabbing, and tended to the seriously wounded victim, bringing him back to consciousness.[8]

Suspect

Muhaydin Mire, 29, of Leytonstone, was named as the suspect.[1] He appeared at the Old Bailey on 7 December and was charged with attempted murder of the 56-year-old man who was seriously injured. Mire was sectioned under the Mental Health Act for examination to determine his state of mind.[1]

According to his brother, Mire had a history of mental illness, having spent three months in hospital due to paranoia, and he had relapsed in August 2015. The brother said that Mire would telephone him with odd, delusional messages, but none of them had a political theme.[9]

Mire's family sought urgent medical help trying to get him sectioned, around a month before the attack. This was rejected by authorities, who found him to be of no risk to himself or others. As a final resort, Mire's brother "decided to move him out the country [to see his mother]...I decided to book a ticket for him on this Sunday. He was okay as far as I know. He wanted to go".[9]

Responses

Much of the Central line was closed following the incident.[10]

During a video of the alleged perpetrator being subdued by police, a bystander subsequently identified by the first name John shouted, "You ain't no Muslim, bruv. You ain’t no Muslim." John, whose full name has not been made public and who is not a Muslim, told The Sunday Times, "I saw the guy. I was like, well you ain’t a Muslim ... That’s my views, and I had to let him know that." He added, "People look at Muslims, and look at Isis, and think they’re all the same. But obviously they’re not". [11]

Consequently, the hashtag #YouAintNoMuslimBruv trended on Twitter,[12] becoming the top trending topic in the UK on the morning following the attack. The Guardian noted that it was a "perfect riposte to attempts to spread violence and terror in London."[13][14] The Independent stated the "phrase has become a unifying call among people condemning the attack on social media."[15] On 7 December, the phrase was repeated by British Prime Minister David Cameron, who said in a speech, "Some of us have dedicated speeches and media appearances and sound-bites and everything to this subject but 'you ain't no Muslim, bruv' says it all, much better than I ever could and thank you because that will be applauded all around the country."[16]

Local MP for Leyton and Wanstead, John Cryer of the Labour Party, described the attack as "barbaric" but stated it would be "dangerous" to directly link it to the British airstrikes against ISIS in Syria without proof. Cryer, who voted against the airstrikes and stated "I was opposed to the airstrikes in Syria... I think they will prove to be quite a major mistake", nevertheless said "I am not convinced this will be connected to the airstrikes in Syria"[17]

A government spokesperson stated that "there is an ongoing police investigation into [the] attack in London. We are monitoring the situation closely as further details emerge."[18]

Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the Labour Party,[19] and Sadiq Khan, its candidate for the 2016 London mayoral election, tweeted their shock at the attack and their support for its victims.[20]

Imam Imran Patel, of Leytonstone Mosque, said that the alleged perpetrator was "not a member of the congregation of Leytonstone and for his actions he can only answer for himself. We strongly condemn any sort of violence and terrorism. Islam does not allow, and does not have any place for violent acts".[21]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "PICTURED: Man appears in court after London station 'TERROR attack' stabbing". Daily Express. 7 December 2015. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
  2. ↑ Morgan, Tom (7 December 2015). "Leytonstone Tube attacker left victim with 12cm neck wound and had "Syria material" on his mobile, court hears". The Telegraph. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
  3. ↑ "Tube terror as knifeman screaming 'this is for Syria, stabs man". Mail Online. Retrieved 2015-12-05.
  4. ↑ Withnall, Adam (7 December 2015). "Leytonstone attack suspect Muhaydin Mire appears in court on attempted murder charge". The Independent. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
  5. ↑ ""You ain't no Muslim, bruv!" Londoners mock attacker". 6 December 2015. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
  6. ↑ "Counter Terrorism Command now investigating incident at Leytonstone". Mynewsdesk. Retrieved 2015-12-05.
  7. ↑ Charlton, Corey (5 December 2015). "'Let me have another go!' Furious hero of Tube terror attack had to be 'dragged off' the knifeman even after being slashed in the neck – while other bystanders just 'stood around and filmed on their phones'". Daily Mail. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  8. ↑ Mansfield, Katie (7 December 2015). "EXCLUSIVE: 'I thought I would be stabbed' Hero doctor who saved Leytonstone victim's life". Daily Express. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
  9. 1 2 "Leytonstone attack: accused had "mental health problems"". Channel 4 News. Retrieved 2015-12-09.
  10. ↑ "3 stabbed at London Tube station - CNN.com". CNN. Retrieved 2015-12-06.
  11. ↑ "Man who said 'You ain't no Muslim, bruv' after Leytonstone attack denounces extremism". The Guardian (London). 13 December 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  12. ↑ "#YouAintNoMuslimBruv: How Twitter responded to Leytonstone attack". BBC News. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
  13. ↑ Robert Booth. "#YouAintNoMuslimBruv trending as Britons hail onlooker’s riposte". the Guardian. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
  14. ↑ LeForge, Patrick (6 December 2015). "‘You Ain’t No Muslim, Bruv’: Response to London Attack Inspires Hashtag". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
  15. ↑ Withnall, Adam (7 December 2015). "‘You ain’t no Muslim bruv’: Britain unites in rejection of Leytonstone Tube attacker". The Independent. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
  16. ↑ Dathan, Matt (7 December 2015). "Leytonstone attack: David Cameron repeats 'You ain't no Muslim bruv' remark and praises man who said it". The Independent. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
  17. ↑ Nicholas Watt. "London tube attack: MP warns against linking it with Syria airstrikes vote". the Guardian. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
  18. ↑ "'This is for Syria... blood will be spilled': Terror comes to London after knifeman threatening revenge for airstrikes slashes man at Tube station and is filmed being Tasered by police as families flee". Daily Mail. 5 December 2015. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  19. ↑ "Jeremy Corbyn MP on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 2015-12-05.
  20. ↑ "Knifeman screams 'this is for Syria' in Leytonstone tube 'machete' attack". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-12-05.
  21. ↑ "Extra Police On Tube Network After Stabbing". Sky News. Retrieved 7 December 2015.

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