We will not succumb to fear

Once again, flags at half-mast after unspeakable horror.

The hatred that drives someone to murder innocent people in the name of a warped belief can never be comprehended.

The targets on this occasion were children and youngsters enjoying a night of music and fun. It makes the scale of what unfolded even more appalling.

Yet as always on such terrible occasions, humanity shone through.

Think of the emergency responders first at the scene, plunging selflessly into the nightmare to provide assistance and solace. Or those who reached out and offered comfort and shelter to people caught up in the mayhem, or simply a ride home.

Gibraltar watched with sadness as events unfolded yesterday. Many of us have family and friends in Manchester, and know the city well.

Speaking to our reporter yesterday on the sideline of a Commonwealth conference here, Labour peer Baroness Hilary Armstrong said terrorists dislike communities where people work together, irrespective of their differences. Their aim is to destroy the very fabric of democracy.

“But the people of Manchester are resilient,” she said.

So too are communities around the world that must face up to this threat, Gibraltar included.

We will remain vigilant and alert, trusting in our security forces as they continue with their unenviable task.

We will reject knee-jerk reactions that seek to pin blame, and focus instead on the shared values that unite us irrespective of race or creed.

Above all, we will not succumb to fear.

We will carry on as normal, and in doing so deprive those who perpetrate such atrocities any semblance of twisted victory.