Reactions to the 2005 London bombings

The bombings, three on the London Underground and one on a bus, killed 52 people and prompted a massive response from the emergency services, and in the immediate aftermath the almost-complete shut down of the city's transport system.

The first indication of the attacks came at 9:15 a.m., when Sky News, during its Sunrise breakfast show, flashed a report of an explosion at Liverpool Street Station in the City of London.

This coverage, aimed at Londoners struggling to get home or to work in the aftermath of the attacks, was much acclaimed within the industry and won the coveted Sony Gold Award.

Similarly, in Denmark Blown Away featuring Tommy Lee Jones as a bomber was replaced on national TV station Danmarks Radio by Rain Man.

BBC Radio 1's programming proceeded as normal throughout the day but with regular reports and updates both from the incumbent DJs and the Newsbeat team generally including listener feedback on the transport situation.

Brian Kilmeade claimed that the attacks worked to the advantage of conservatives, putting terrorism back on the political agenda at a time when the G8 were discussing climate change and poverty.

"[30] On 19 July 2005, the Home Secretary Charles Clarke announced in parliament the fast-tracking of a trimmed-down anti-terror bill, for which cross-party support had been secured, to become law by the end of the year.

[citation needed] This law became the Terrorism Act 2006, which despite broad cross-party support for many of the new offences legislated, created controversy due to the governments desire to introduce 90-day detention, though this was later reduced to 28 days.

Within hours of the explosions, several websites were established including You Will Fail,[31] which celebrated Mayor of London Ken Livingstone's defiant words and We're Not Afraid,[32] inviting all people to express their resolution not to be 'afraid, intimidated or cowed by the cowardly act of terrorism'.

On Sunday 17 July around 1,000 people joined a 'peace' vigil in Russell Square called by the Stop the War Coalition (StWC) and the Muslim Association of Britain.

Journalist John Pilger in a column published in the New Statesman on 25 July 2005, ascribed blame to Blair, whose decision to support the invasion of Iraq, and the overthrow of the Saddam Hussein regime, generated the rage that he claimed precipitated those bombings.

[83] Tony Blair and Home Secretary Charles Clarke, among other ministers and key officials from government and the emergency services attended a meeting in COBR after the second wave of attacks occurred.