Thousands have turned out for a vigil to honour the victims of the London Bridge attack.
Under gloomy skies and barely a kilometre from the weekend's attack in the heart of Britain's capital, Aucklander Amanda Tisdall last evening joined thousands of Londoners at a vigil for the latest victims of Islamist terrorism.
The 26-year-old landscape architect, clad in her cycling gear, diverted from her journey hometo honour those killed and injured in Saturday night's deadly strike.
Tisdall, from Mellons Bay in East Auckland, said she worked near Borough Market where the three jihadis launched frenzied knife attacks on innocent pub patrons.
"If it had been a day earlier we might have been there, having a pint and enjoying ourselves," she said. "Half the office would have been in one of the bars."
Tisdall said her phone went wild after news of the murderous rampage went global. She assured her family back in New Zealand she was safely tucked up in bed but also told them the terror assault would not deter her enjoyment of life in London.
Amanda Tisdall at a vigil near Tower Bridge for the victims of the recent terror attack that left 7 people dead. Photo / Andrew Stone
"That's what they want," she said. "But it's important that we don't give in, that we show that we believe in our way of life."
Her sentiments would have been music to the ears of London Mayor Sadiq Khan who issued a stirring and defiant challenge to extremists. He told the crowd, which included a strong showing of Londoners in T-shirts bearing the slogan "I am Muslim ask me anything", that his city would "never be broken" and that extremism would be beaten.
Khan, who has come in for criticism from US President Donald Trump, was applauded throughout his brief address at Potters Field Park alongside the Tower Bridge and just downstream from the London Bridge murders.
Trump fired off a tweet accusing Khan of assuring Londoners there was "no reason to be alarmed" after the attack, although Khan's message was telling residents not to be worried about the extra police presence.
Tisdall said she was grateful for the sight of armed patrols on central London streets, but wondered why extra measures weren't in place after the deadly Manchester Arena suicide attack two weeks ago.
Canadian Timothy Lock, an IT specialist, had similar sentiments. Lock said he was at the vigil because he lost a dear friend in the 2005 London Tube bombings.
Lock said: "These animals are not going to make us afraid."
He too felt the authorities had dropped their guard, and said Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May had to take responsibility for failing to give police adequate resources.
Lock agreed with Khan's message that the London Bridge killers were a perversion of the Islamic faith. He said: "You don't equate the Ku Klux Klan with Christianity and you shouldn't see these murderers as Muslims."
Ahmad Zafar, 20, an engineering student, in a #I Am Muslim T-shirt, said he wanted to be at the vigil as a British Muslim.
"We do not condone the attack. We know people become anxious after these terrible crimes and we want to show we stand with them."
Khan told the respectful crowd the "disgusting acts" perpetuated on Saturday night had nothing to do with true value of Islam.
