| News
& Community - E: [email protected] |
| Unprecedented
Changing of the Guard ceremony 14/09/01 |
 |
A military band played the U.S. national anthem
at an unprecedented Changing of the Guard ceremony at Buckingham
Palace on Thursday, ordered by Queen Elizabeth II in a show of solidarity
with the American people.
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer called the British gesture ``very
touching,'' and noted that Britain, too, lost citizens in the attack.
``The United States is not the only nation that mourns,'' Fleischer
said.
``And so, it's a further expression of the wonderful solidarity
that the world is showing with the United States.''
Across Europe and the world, nations mourned victims of Tuesday's
terror attacks in the United States, ordering flags flown at half-staff,
declaring national days of mourning and observing periods of silence.
Paying tribute to the hundreds of American firefighters who died,
firefighters in Hungary tied black ribbons on their vehicles and
Polish fire trucks sounded their sirens in the afternoon.
In London, thousands of onlookers- and hundreds of Americans- stood
eight deep at Buckingham Palace's front gates and lined the road
to the queen's main residence. Some carried miniature U.S. flags.
``I want to be closer to home right now and this is the closest
we can get,'' said 34-year-old Laura Esposito of Boston, who was
wrapping up a vacation in Sweden when the terrorists struck and
has been unable to return home.
Prince Andrew, the queen's second son, and U.S. Ambassador William
Farish attended the 45-minute ceremony. Queen Elizabeth planned
to return from her vacation in Scotland to attend a service Friday
at St. Paul's Cathedral for Americans living in London.
After the anthem finished, the crowd applauded, then fell quiet
to observe two minutes of silence. ``I think Americans should gather
together at a time like this,'' said Monroe Haas, 67, of New York
City, who had been scheduled to return home from vacation on Wednesday.
Jenny Lee, 31, of San Francisco, saluted and waved a cardboard flag
she had made herself and others said they felt less isolated being
surrounded by fellow Americans. ``I was really touched that the
queen has done this,'' Lee said.
``Even though I'm so many miles from home, I feel that the U.K.
is really with us on this one.'' Queen Elizabeth planned to return
from her vacation in Scotland to attend a service Friday at St.
Paul's Cathedral for Americans living in London.
|
| "We
just want to go home." 12/09/01 |
 |
Hundreds of confused and distraught American expatriates
and stranded tourists flocked to the American Embassy in Grosvenor
Square today to express their grief and begin to piece together
the tragedy that happened to their country yesterday..
read more and see
photos
|
| New
drop in centre for gays, bisexuals and transgenders 5/09/01 |
 |
Westminster Police are opening their new drop in
centre for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and transgender community
in Westminster.
The launch will be held tonight at 18.30 at the Shadow Lounge, Brewer
St, W1.
The drop in centre with dedicated phone line and answer machine
is designed to encourage those suffering hate crimes such as abuse,
assaults, and vandalism to come forward to the police.
The 'Anti Hate Crime' campaign was launched in Dec. 1998 for West
End Central and Charing Cross Police areas, with a drop-in service
based at the old 'Body Positive' on Greek St, Soho.
Following the closure of Body Positive, the drop-in centre was left
without a home and the cards advertising these services were exhausted.
Ten new sponsors have enabled the MPS to produce 180,000 cards advertising
the help line and drop-in centre throughout Westminster.
The sponsors, who are shown on the cards, have been invited to the
re-launch at the 'Shadow Lounge'. The new drop-in centre will be
based at 'Kairos' in Soho at 56 Old Compton Street, W1.
It will be held on the first Tuesday of every month between the
hours of 17.00 and 19.00.
The help line Number is 020 7321 8788
|
|
|
