Pride in London joins 17-24-30 NationalHCAW to mark 20 years since Admiral Duncan bombing
- On 30th April 1999 a nail bomb attack at the Admiral Duncan pub in Soho killed three people and wounded 79
- Soho attack followed two other nail bombings in Brixton on 17th April and Brick Lane on 24th April as part of a homophobic, racist terror campaign
- Soho Act of Remembrance marking the 20th anniversary of the attacks will take place at 5pm on Tuesday 30th April outside the Admiral Duncan
Pride in London is joining anti-hate charity 17-24-30 NationalHCAW (National Hate Crime Awareness Week) this Tuesday (30th April) to mark the 20th anniversary of the London nail bombings and remember those killed during the attacks: Nik Moore, Andrea Dykes and John Light.
On 30th April 1999, three people were killed and 79 injured when a nail bomb was detonated at the Admiral Duncan pub in Soho, the heart of London’s gay community. At the time the pub and the street outside were particularly crowded because the evening was the start of the early May Bank Holiday weekend. Four of the survivors had to have limbs amputated.
An Act of Remembrance marking 20 years since the attacks is planned for Tuesday evening, starting outside the Admiral Duncan and then moving round to St Anne’s Gardens on Wardour Street. The latter part will feature speeches from: Rev Simon Buckley, St Anne’s Church; Mark Healey, Founder 17-24-30 NationalHCAW and Cllr Ian Adams, Westminster Council – as well as three poems read by Trudy Howson, LGBT Poet Laureate; Terry Morely, Nik Moore’s aunt and Natalie Patterson, Andrea Dyke’s sister, and performances by the London Gay Men’s Chorus, the Pink Singers and Diversity Choir.
The bombing in Soho followed two connected attacks in other parts of the capital: Brixton on 17th April and Brick Lane on 24th April. Though there were no fatalities, 61 people were injured by the blasts. These attacks were racially-motivated and targeted the black community in south London and the Bangladeshi Muslim community in the East End. Smaller acts of remembrance took place in both locations on the respective dates as part of 17-24-30 NationalHCAW’s April Acts of Remembrance.
Mark Healey, Founder of 17-24-30 NationalHCAW, said, “It’s hugely important that our communities come together to mark the anniversaries of these horrendous events. We have a duty to remember those we lost, to show our ongoing support to those affected by these attacks, and most importantly to educate the next generation to make sure these kinds of attacks never happen again.
“We’re good at dealing with the immediate aftermath of these kinds of attacks but more needs to be done to deal with their longer-term impact on our communities. Some of the survivors and the families affected by these attacks are still suffering and need more support. I hope our April Acts of Remembrance inspire people to get involved, to build stronger links between all our communities and ensure there is no place for hate amongst us.”
The Soho Act of Remembrance will take place at 5pm on Tuesday 30th April outside the Admiral Duncan on Old Compton Street, Soho. So the organisers can gauge how many people will attend, please register here if you plan to join the act of remembrance.
