The bombing in Manchester, England, brought a raucous, joyous night of music and dancing to a terrifying, tragic end.
Photo by Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images.
The blast between Manchester Arena and the adjacent Victoria Train Station near the end of an Ariana Grande concert left at least 22 dead, dozens more injured, and hundreds stranded near the arena.
As we've seen in too many cities around the world, attacks like these — which put the worst of humanity on display — often also bring out the best of humanity. The attack in Manchester was no different.
If the goal of terrorism is to terrorize, the city failed to give the perpetrators that satisfaction — at least for now.
Dozens offered their homes to people stranded by the bombings.
If you need a place to crash l live around the corner from Manchester Arena on Jefferson Place. Feel free to contact me #roomformanchester— Gez B (@Gez B) 1495495011
#RoomForManchester 10 mins taxi from city centre, can provide a safe place to stay, a cup of tea, charge your phone, please message me— laura (@laura) 1495496666
I live in sale close to the arena, I'm free to pick anyone up! I have a spare room and I can drive people home !! #RoomforManchester— Demi❤️ (@Demi❤️) 1495499860
Taxi drivers, many of them Muslim, offered free rides to scared concert-goers.
@X5265015119 It was a Muslim who pulled up in his taxi and drove us home to safety. A very compassionate man who wa… https://t.co/M3e0frI0HL— hannah (@hannah) 1495504563
One taxi company even offered their headquarters as a shelter.
Anybody stranded can stay a night in Streetcars headquarters #ManchesterArena #ArianaGrande #MENArena #RoomForManchester #PrayForManchester— Street Cars (@Street Cars) 1495499623
Manchester residents lined up to give blood.
Long queues forming outside a Manchester blood centre. Some feeling helpless, and some enthusiastic to help. https://t.co/FaWg3j0SWk— Jason Gallagher (@Jason Gallagher) 1495529921
Blood banks told potential donors eager to help they were already full — but urged people to keep pre-made appointments.
In response to last night's tragic incident in #Manchester - we have all the blood required for hospital patients a… https://t.co/jAtRey0djQ— Give Blood NHS 🩸🩹 (@Give Blood NHS 🩸🩹) 1495533691
People brought food and hot drinks to police officers the morning after...
#ManchesterBombing People treat police with tea and sandwiches https://t.co/667fAeyNdv— Pavel Кulyuk (@Pavel Кulyuk) 1495531661
...and distributed water to those who remained near the arena where the bombing took place.
Most importantly, people helped others find their missing relatives on social media.
How amazing is social media https://t.co/7IoycnAjGZ— k (@k) 1495497251
Terror attacks are frightening. That's the point. But Manchester — like London, Paris, Mumbai, Madrid, and New York before it — refuses to be twisted into something it's not.
What the attackers likely expected was chaos and mayhem. What emerged was an open-hearted city full of people who have each others' backs in times of crisis.
Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images.
There are forces that want decent people to be cowed, panicked, and angry in the wake of terror. The perpetrators of violence depend on it, and the people who leap to highlight divisions based on religion and national origin, even before the nature of the attack is fully known, thrive on it.
For now, in Manchester, the love, support, and sense of community is drowning out the hate.
It's a lesson the world shouldn't have to learn over and over again.