“Don’t use my son’s death, and his and his colleague’s photos – to promote your vile propaganda. Jack stood against everything you stand for – hatred, division, ignorance.”
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This Friday’s London Bridge attack, saw convicted terrorist Usman Khan kill two and injure five innocent bystanders after attending an event at Fishmonger’s Hall on the rehabilitation of prisoners and the formerly incarcerated. Khan, who had previously been arrested in 2012 for planning to blow up the London Stock Exchange, was sentenced to 16 years in prison. He was shot to death on Friday when police attempted to restrain him.
The two people killed during this attack have been named as 23 year old Saskia Jones and 25 year old Jack Merritt. Since the horrifying attack, however, UK political parties have been quick to use this sensitive time for election-biased political backbiting. On the Conservative party’s official Twitter page, they posted:
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Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who leads the Conservative Party, has long been criticized for his open Islamophobia, racism, xenophobia, and this most recent attempt by him and his party to use the deaths of two victims for political backbiting has caused the father of Jack Merritt, one of those tragically killed, to speak out against it. David Merritt, the father of Jack, took to Twitter to express his shock and anger:
Don’t use my son’s death, and his and his colleague’s photos – to promote your vile propaganda. Jack stood against everything you stand for – hatred, division, ignorance.”
Don’t use my son’s death, and his and his colleague’s photos - to promote your vile propaganda. Jack stood against everything you stand for - hatred, division, ignorance. twitter.com/DMReporter/sta…
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David Merrit, the father of Jack who was murdered in the terrorist attack in London yesterday. So dignified. My heart goes out to him. #RIPJack pic.twitter.com/odqPbNZjDl— Cath 💕💕 (@RugbyCath) November 30, 2019
Many have rushed to defend David Merritt, supporting him and calling out both the Conservative party as well as media outlets who have used these tragic deaths for political gain, especially with the upcoming December 12th general election.
It's beyond disgusting that Boris Johnson, Priti Patel, & newspapers like the Mail are using Jack Merritt's death and image to promote an agenda he fought against all his life.
He was a passionate believer in rehabilitation and transformative justice, not draconian sentencing.
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Just to say - while Labour and Tory leaders are using #LondonBridge attack as a campaigning tool - this young man was murdered while trying to make a difference.
Shame on them both. #GE2019 twitter.com/skynews/status…
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The London Bridge attack on Friday has left London reeling, but also committed to stay together despite those who attempt to foster divisive rhetoric. A memorial service and vigil took place today on Monday in both London and Cambridge, where Merritt and Jones were both graduates in criminology from the University of Cambridge. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan stated during the memorial service:
The best way to defeat this hatred is not by turning on one another, but it’s by focussing on the values that bind us, to take hope from the heroism of ordinary Londoners and our emergency services who ran towards danger, risking their lives to help people they didn’t even know.”
Our prayers and thoughts go out to the families and loved ones of both Jack and Saskia, and let us hope that the tireless work that they gave their lives for will be remembered and protected.
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