UK 7/7: The Day That Shattered London’s Innocence

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7/7: The Day That Shattered London’s Innocence

 

On July 6, 2005, London erupted in joy after an unexpected victory. Against the odds, the city had just secured the right to host the 2012 Olympic Games, narrowly beating Paris by four votes. Crowds filled Trafalgar Square to celebrate the triumph, unaware that their jubilation would be followed by one of the darkest days in modern British history.

 

 

While the capital slept off its celebrations, in a flat in Leeds, three men—Shehzad Tanweer, 22, Hasib Hussain, 18, and their mentor Mohammad Sidique Khan, 30—were making final preparations for an act of terror. A fourth man, Germaine Lindsay, 19, would join them later in Luton. Trained in al-Qaeda camps and radicalised over time, the group had spent months amassing chemicals and constructing bombs designed to cause mass carnage.

 

 

The devices were packed with nails and screws to maximise destruction. Neighbour Sylvia Waugh later recalled seeing the men early that morning: “When I was looking out of the window between 4.05am and 4.10am they were putting things into cars. I thought they were drug dealing in the car park.”

 

 

From Leeds, the men drove to Luton and met Lindsay at the train station. By 8:26am they were captured on CCTV at King’s Cross Underground station, adjusting the heavy rucksacks that contained their bombs. Minutes later, they separated to execute their coordinated attacks.

 

 

At 8:49am, three bombs detonated almost simultaneously on the London Underground, at Russell Square, Aldgate, and Edgware Road. The force of the explosions caused panic, darkness, and horror. “There was a white light. I didn’t hear an explosion. I felt as if I was lifted from the floor, I was going around in circles,” recalled Gill Hicks, who was gravely injured in the Russell Square blast.

 

 

 

“When I woke up, I found myself on the train tracks... I was partly underneath the train and partly off. And part of the door was on my right thigh.” She would later learn both her legs were hanging on by “sinew and skin.” In her words, “I was desperately staying upright because, when help eventually came, I wanted to be able to wave to say, ‘I’m here, I’m alive’.”

 

 

In the Edgware Road blast, six people were killed, including 22-year-old David Foulkes. His father, Graham, recalled, “David had a job opportunity in London... When I found out he was at Edgware Road, westbound, I knew he’d gone on the wrong train... He shouldn’t have even been there. And he was standing next to Mohammad Sidique Khan.”

 

 

The fourth bomber, Hasib Hussain, failed to board a train and instead wandered the streets, trying unsuccessfully to reach his fellow attackers by phone. At about 9am, he purchased new batteries from WH Smith before boarding the crowded No. 30 double-decker bus at Tavistock Square.

 

 

One of the passengers was 32-year-old Miriam Hyman, who had just called her father to reassure him she was safe. Moments later, Hussain detonated his bomb, killing 13 people. “I think of Miriam every day. That will never change,” said her sister, Esther. “Now I think of her, she makes me smile. I don’t focus on how we lost her.” The Hyman family established the Miriam Hyman Memorial Trust to combat extremism through education.

 

 

In the hours that followed, confusion reigned. Initial reports described “power surges” on the Underground. Millions were left stranded, phone networks overloaded, and emergency services overwhelmed. A major incident alert—Code Amber—was declared, and the entire public transport system shut down.

 

Delays and communication failures plagued the emergency response. At Russell Square, 22-year-old Phil Beer clung to life for 45 minutes without receiving first aid. He died in the carriage as another passenger tried to comfort him. Fire crews were ordered to wait for confirmation that tracks were safe, even as some police had already entered the tunnels. Radio systems across services were incompatible, and access to some victims was blocked by wrecked trains in narrow tunnels.

 

By midday, al-Qaeda-linked websites were claiming responsibility. A video message later emerged from Khan: “We are at war and I am a soldier. Now you too will face the reality of this situation.” Peter Clarke, who led the counterterrorism effort, said, “This was clearly a centrally directed al-Qaeda operation.”

 

Twenty years on, the legacy of 7/7 is complex and painful. It exposed vulnerabilities in emergency preparedness and forever changed how London thinks about safety and terrorism. For survivors and victims’ families, like Gill Hicks and the Hymans, life was irrevocably altered. Yet amid the horror, it also inspired resilience, remembrance, and resolve—to never forget, and never let hatred win.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Times  2025-07-07

 

 

 

 

[FlorC]

7/7: The Day That Shattered London’s Innocence

 

London was never innocent.

 

20 years later and they still let them in.

al-Qaeda's head is now accepted as legitimate Syrian leader.

[Watawattana]

Did the person from The Times forget the IRA?

[animalmagic]

4 minutes ago, Watawattana said:

Did the person from The Times forget the IRA?

Guy Fawkes did have a go in 1605.  Admittedly a long time ago, but remembered every year on November 5th.

[MicroB]

54 minutes ago, FlorC said:

al-Qaeda's head is now accepted as legitimate Syrian leader.

 

No he isn't.

 

The leader of Al Qaeda is Colonel Mohamed Salah al-Din al-Halim Zaidan, aka Saif al-Adel, who was last heard of being under house arrest in Iran. He is a former Commando in Sadat's military.

[isaanistical]

45 minutes ago, animalmagic said:

Guy Fawkes did have a go in 1605.  Admittedly a long time ago, but remembered every year on November 5th.

Not to mention little things like the Blitz. "day that shattered innocence" - pure fiction (which is not what I really mean).

[Bkk Brian]

Obviously an unforgettable day for all the wrong reasons, I was in a meeting in Sussex when a staff member burst in the room and informed us all of the mass bombings and for anyone living in London to get back asap. Got in my car and drove back immediately, it was very eerie and extremely worrying as news of how many killed and who was not known, just that there were mass casualties and numerous locations. 

 

The one thing that made it always stand out was the very disturbing sign heading back into London on the M25 saying basically that London was closed.

 

 

It was nothing like any previous IRA bombings, this was big. Fortunately my family were ok but some had been very nearby the locations.

[LosLobo]

A mini-series on the attack was released on Netflix last week.

Attack on London: Hunting the 7/7 Bombers (2025).

[merck]

Guardian slant on the event - Victims of it all were not those injured.
‘We are in a dangerous place’: British Muslims on the fallout from 7/7 attack 20 years on
Many feel counter-terrorism policies and brazen Islamophobia have increased hostility and isolation experience by community

"The emotional and social toll of 7/7 on Muslim communities was profound and is felt by many to this day,” said the imam Qari Asim.
ctd
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/jul/06/7-7-london-bombings-british-muslims-counter-terrorism-islamophobia

 

[sqwakvfr]

Just finished the Netflix limites series.  It was very interesting:

 

 

[NoshowJones]

19 hours ago, FlorC said:

7/7: The Day That Shattered London’s Innocence

 

London was never innocent.

 

20 years later and they still let them in.

al-Qaeda's head is now accepted as legitimate Syrian leader.

Yes and they are still building Mosques. After that dreadful act of terrorism 20 years ago, the country should have started closing them down.

[JonnyF]

15 hours ago, merck said:

Guardian slant on the event - Victims of it all were not those injured.
‘We are in a dangerous place’: British Muslims on the fallout from 7/7 attack 20 years on
Many feel counter-terrorism policies and brazen Islamophobia have increased hostility and isolation experience by community

"The emotional and social toll of 7/7 on Muslim communities was profound and is felt by many to this day,” said the imam Qari Asim.
ctd
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/jul/06/7-7-london-bombings-british-muslims-counter-terrorism-islamophobia

 

 

Classic Guardian.

 

I'm surprised they didn't run with "How 7/7 bombs blew the mask off the racist Islamaphobic gammon" 😃.

[JonnyF]

12 minutes ago, NoshowJones said:

Yes and they are still building Mosques. After that dreadful act of terrorism 20 years ago, the country should have started closing them down.

 

The writing was pretty much on the wall for the UK by 2005.

 

I left in 2006. 

 

Looking at the state of it now it was the best thing I ever did. 

[NoshowJones]

Just now, JonnyF said:

 

The writing was pretty much on the wall for the UK by 2005.

 

I left in 2006. 

 

Looking at the state of it now it was the best thing I ever did. 

Agreed. I also left in 2006.

[MicroB]

On 7/7/2025 at 11:18 AM, merck said:

Guardian slant on the event - Victims of it all were not those injured.
‘We are in a dangerous place’: British Muslims on the fallout from 7/7 attack 20 years on
Many feel counter-terrorism policies and brazen Islamophobia have increased hostility and isolation experience by community

"The emotional and social toll of 7/7 on Muslim communities was profound and is felt by many to this day,” said the imam Qari Asim.
ctd
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/jul/06/7-7-london-bombings-british-muslims-counter-terrorism-islamophobia

 

 

The Irish community in Great Britain also suffered following IRA attacks. ie Maguire 7, Guildford 4.

 

Your opening senetence is deliberately misleading, in order to sew discord, and pursue your own agenda.

 

You should have stated;

 

Quote

Guardian slant on the event - Victims of it all were not just those injured or killed.

 

[NoshowJones]

22 hours ago, NoshowJones said:

Yes and they are still building Mosques. After that dreadful act of terrorism 20 years ago, the country should have started closing them down.

You with the thumbs down emo, I bet it did not affect your family, and I also bet you are not even British.