London was hit by a terrorist attack on Wednesday and Prime Minister Theresa pledged later that evening that the capital would carry on “as normal” despite the “sick and depraved” attacks.
So far, at least four people have died and at least 40 were injured after a car drove into dozens of people on crowded Westminster Bridge and an attacker tried to break into Parliament with a knife.
The attacker stabbed a police officer, who has now died, before being fatally shot by police.
The Metropolitan Police are currently treating the incidents as terrorist attacks. It occurred on the anniversary of the Brussels airport terror attack.
Here is how the attack unfolded.
WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES FOLLOW.
The incident began on Westminster Bridge on Tuesday at 2.40 pm G.M.T., when a car ran into several civilians.
The car injured at least a dozen people on Westminster Bridge, including three French school children on a trip.
Victims of the car attack were not yet been named. They were taken to the nearby St. Thomas' Hospital. One victim died there.
One civilian (not pictured) either jumped into the Thames in order to escape from the attack or was thrown by the oncoming car. She was recovered from the river alive.
Ordinary people immediately went to help the injured.
Radosław Sikorski, a Polish politician, captured the scene on Westminster Bridge moments after the attack, reporting that he saw at least five people injured.
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A car on Westminster Bridgehas just mowed down at least 5 people. pic.twitter.com/tdCR9I0NgJ
— RadosÅaw Sikorski (@sikorskiradek) March22, 2017
A car on Westminster Bridgehas just mowed down at least 5 people. pic.twitter.com/tdCR9I0NgJ
Shortly afterwards, a car crashed into railings outside the Houses of Parliament. It was reportedly the same vehicle involved in the bridge attack. Twitter user Luke Steele uploaded the image below:
There's been a shooting / stabbing at Parliament. Stay safe everyone. pic.twitter.com/Fb2LNXfLh5
— Luke Steele (@Lukesteele4) March 22, 2017
Moments after the car crashed, Metropolitan police shot an unidentified person in Parliament's New Palace Yard. The man had entered the grounds of Parliament and stabbed a police officer with a knife.
Journalist Quentin Letts, who witnessed the incident, said: "I saw a fairly thick-set man wearing black clothes running through the open gates, the security gates where people drive their cars."
Letts added: "He started beating a policeman who had fallen over on the ground. The policeman managed to shake him off and the attacker then ran towards the entrance of the House of Commons, which is used by our members of Parliament and he got about 15 yards before the authorities responded."
Emergency services who arrived at the scene reported "catastrophic injuries." A statement from the London Ambulance Service said: "We can confirm we have treated at least 10 patients on Westminster Bridge and have put a number of hospitals on alert as we continue to respond to this incident. We were called at 2.40pm today, with the first ambulance crew arriving within six minutes."
The area around Westminster Bridge was cordoned off by armed police immediately.
A witness close to Westminster Bridge told Business Insider that there were "lots of sirens" and "people running" at the scene.
The area surrounding the Palace of Westminster was also cordoned off.
An air ambulance landed on Parliament Square carrying paramedics.
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VIDEO London HelicopterEmergency Medical Services landing near parliament in Westminsterafter firearms incident (footage: Gary Kittle) pic.twitter.com/XNuZTsg2vW
— AIRLIVE (@airlivenet) March22, 2017
VIDEO London HelicopterEmergency Medical Services landing near parliament in Westminsterafter firearms incident (footage: Gary Kittle) pic.twitter.com/XNuZTsg2vW
Paramedics tried to revive the injured in New Palace Yard, Westminster.
Paramedics desperately trying to revive injured in New Palace Yard pic.twitter.com/esmQtULO9q
— Libby Wiener (@LibbyWienerITV) March 22, 2017
Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood (centre) — a former soldier — helped emergency services attend to the injured police officer.
According to the Telegraph, Ellwood attempted to give the officer mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and stemmed the blood flow by applying pressure to the wounds. The BBC reports that the officer in question has now died.
Armed police swarmed the area, including specialist counter-terrorism officers like the man pictured running here.
The police set up a guard next to the statue of Winston Churchill.
Facebook quickly activated its "Safety Check" in London, which lets people tell their loved ones they are OK.
This is the first photo of the suspected attacker being carried away from New Palace Yard.
Many peers from the House of Lords — along with parliamentary staff and a handful of MPs — were evacuated to nearby Westminster Abbey. Pictured, a Metropolitan Police superintendent addresses the crowd from the pulpit at the Abbey.
The bulk of MPs were evacuated to Westminster Hall, where they remained as of 6.30 pm G.M.T.
Police appeal for video footage from hundreds of MPs, peers and members of the public in Westminster Hall now pic.twitter.com/4anIQLptFe
— Christopher Hope (@christopherhope) March 22, 2017
As of 6.30 p.m. GMT on Wednesday, police were yet to confirm that the incident was officially over.
Commander BJ Harrington of the Metropolitan Police made a statement on the incident outside of New Scotland Yard. He confirmed that the matter is being treated as a terrorist incident.
Prime Minister Theresa May then went to chair a 45 minute meeting of the emergency COBR committee to discuss the government's immediate response to the incident.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan released a video on his Facebook page saying "Londoners will never be cowed by terrorism."
Then May addressed the nation around 9 p.m. GMT and condemned the "sick and depraved" attacks in London. She pledged normality for Britons despite Wednesday's events.
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Watch in full: PM @theresa_may pays tribute tothe "exceptional men and women" of the emergency servicesafter terror attack at #Westminsterpic.twitter.com/d4dIAcf9K6
— Sky News (@SkyNews) March 22,2017
Watch in full: PM @theresa_may pays tribute tothe "exceptional men and women" of the emergency servicesafter terror attack at #Westminsterpic.twitter.com/d4dIAcf9K6
@theresa_may#Westminsterpic.twitter.com/d4dIAcf9K6March 22,2017
At around 10.30 p.m. GMT, Scotland Yard confirmed that 4 people, including the suspect, had died and 40 others were injured. The police would not name the suspect.
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Police confirm five dead and40 injured in #Westminsterterror attack. Several with serious injuries, including threepolice officers pic.twitter.com/2AyXtw2UBg
— Sky News (@SkyNews) March 22,2017
Police confirm five dead and40 injured in #Westminsterterror attack. Several with serious injuries, including threepolice officers pic.twitter.com/2AyXtw2UBg
However, the police confirmed that PC Keith Palmer, a 48-year-old husband and father, was killed in Westminster attack. He was in the police force for 15 years.
Meanwhile, around 11 p.m. GMT, France demonstrated its support and solidarity with Britain — after experiencing a series of horrific terrorist attacks previously — by switching off the lights on the Eiffel Tower. Several French school children are believed to be injured in the attacks in London.
In the early hours of Thursday morning, police raided six addresses and made seven arrests in connection to the London attacks.
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Arrests made in police raid inBirmingham which is linked to #Westminsterterror attack, Sky sources say @skymarkwhite pic.twitter.com/Sxh5odAkTA
— Sky News (@SkyNews) March 23,2017
Arrests made in police raid inBirmingham which is linked to #Westminsterterror attack, Sky sources say @skymarkwhite pic.twitter.com/Sxh5odAkTA
#Westminster@skymarkwhitepic.twitter.com/Sxh5odAkTAMarch 23,2017
However, the Metropolitan Police still refused to confirm the identity and nationality of the terrorist suspect.
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Met Police won't confirmidentity of #London attacker,including whether he was a British national. Victims are of mixednationalities. pic.twitter.com/z0GDlUTM9v
— Sky News (@SkyNews) March 23,2017
Met Police won't confirmidentity of #London attacker,including whether he was a British national. Victims are of mixednationalities. pic.twitter.com/z0GDlUTM9v
Then at 10.30 a.m. GMT, Prime Minister Theresa May told MPs that the country is "not afraid" as she delivered her first speech to the House of Commons since the attack.
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"We are not afraid":Theresa May says in the Commons, making statement on the #London terrorattack #Westminsterpic.twitter.com/r2DGNsXDx7
— Sky News (@SkyNews) March 23,2017
"We are not afraid":Theresa May says in the Commons, making statement on the #London terrorattack #Westminsterpic.twitter.com/r2DGNsXDx7
Around midday, ISIS (also known as the Islamic State and Daesh) claimed responsibility for the attack in London via the jihadist propaganda news site Amaq.
Via Amaq #ISIS just claimed the attack in #London pic.twitter.com/u8zpgFaUhy
— Michael S. Smith II (@MichaelSSmithII) March 23, 2017
The first civilian victim that has been identified is Aysha Frade, a 43-year-old year mother of two (L). An American tourist from Utah in the US, Kurt Cochran, was the second civilian believed to have been killed in the attack.
