‘Darkest Day’

Mass shootings at two mosques full of worshippers attending Friday prayers killed 49 people in New Zealand as authorities charged one person, detained three others and defused explosive devices in what appeared to be a carefully planned racist attack.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the events inChristchurch represented “an extraordinary and unprecedented act of violence”and acknowledged many of those affected may be migrants and refugees. Inaddition to the dead, she said more than 20 people were seriously wounded.

   

“It is clear that this can now only be described as aterrorist attack,” Ardern said.

Police took three men and a woman into custody after theshootings, which shocked people across the nation of 5 million people. One ofthe suspects was later charged with murder.

While there was no reason to believe there were moresuspects, Ardern said the national security threat level was being raised tothe second-highest level.

Authorities have not specified who they detained, but saidnone had been on any watch list.

A man who claimed responsibility for the shootings left a74-page anti-immigrant manifesto in which he explained who he was and hisreasoning for the attack. He said he was a 28-year-old white Australian and aracist.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed that oneof the four people detained was an Australian-born citizen.

Police commissioner Mike Bush said Friday night that a manhad been charged with murder. He did not mention the other three suspects anddid not say whether the same shooter was responsible for both attacks.

Ardern at a news conference alluded to anti-immigrantsentiment as the possible motive, saying that while many people affected by theshootings may be migrants or refugees “they have chosen to make New Zealandtheir home, and it is their home. They are us.”

As for the suspects, Ardern said “these are people who Iwould describe as having extremist views that have absolutely no place in NewZealand”.

Bush said the police had found two improvised explosivedevices in one car, a clarification from an earlier statement that there weredevices in multiple vehicles.

 He said they haddisabled one and were in the process of disabling the second. The deadliestattack occurred at the Masjid Al Noor mosque in central Christchurch at about1.45 pm. At least 30 people were killed there.

Witness Len Peneha said he saw a man dressed in black enterthe mosque and then heard dozens of shots, followed by people running from themosque in terror.

Peneha, who lives next door to the mosque, said the gunman ranout of the mosque, dropped what appeared to be a semi-automatic weapon in hisdriveway, and fled. He said he then went into the mosque to try and help.

“I saw dead people everywhere. There were three in thehallway, at the door leading into the mosque, and people inside the mosque,” hesaid. “It’s unbelievable nutty. I don’t understand how anyone could do this tothese people, to anyone. It’s ridiculous.”

He said he helped about five people recover in his home. Hesaid one was slightly injured.

“I’ve lived next door to this mosque for about five yearsand the people are great, they’re very friendly,” he said. “I just don’tunderstand it.”

He said the gunman was white and was wearing a helmet withsome kind of device on top, giving him a military-type appearance.

A video that was apparently livestreamed by the shootershows the attack in horrifying detail. The gunman spends more than two minutesinside the mosque spraying terrified worshippers with bullets again and again,sometimes re-firing at people he has already cut down.

He then walks outside to the street, where he shoots atpeople on the sidewalk. Children’s screams can be heard in the distance as hereturns to his car to get another rifle.

The gunman then walks back into the mosque, where there are atleast two dozen people lying on the ground. After walking back outside andshooting a woman there, he gets back in his car, where the song “Fire” byEnglish rock band “The Crazy World of Arthur Brown” can be heard blasting fromthe speakers.

The singer bellows, “I am the god of hellfire!” and thegunman drives away. The video then cuts out.

There was a second shooting at the Linwood Masjid Mosquethat killed at least 10 people.

Mark Nichols told the New Zealand Herald he heard about fivegunshots and that a Friday prayer-goer returned fire with a rifle or shotgun.

Nichols said he saw two injured people being carried out onstretchers past his automotive shop and that both people appeared to be alive.

The police commissioner warned anybody who was thinking ofgoing to a mosque anywhere in New Zealand on Friday to stay put.

The man who claimed responsibility for the shooting said hecame to New Zealand only to plan and train for the attack. He said he was not amember of any organisation, but had donated to and interacted with manynationalist groups, though he acted alone and no group ordered the attack.

He said the mosques in Christchurch and Linwood would be thetargets, as would a third mosque in the town of Ashburton if he could make itthere.

He said he chose New Zealand because of its location, toshow that even the most remote parts of the world were not free of “massimmigration.”

New Zealand is generally considered to be a welcomingcountry for immigrants and refugees. Last year, the prime minister announcedthe country would boost its annual refugee quota from 1,000 to 1,500 startingin 2020.

GLOBAL OUTRAGE

The attacks on two mosques in New Zealand sparked horror,revulsion and dismay around the world.

“It is clear that this can now only be described as aterrorist attack,” said Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern,describing it as “one of New Zealand’s darkest days.”

“With this attack, hostility towards Islam that the worldhas been has been idly watching and even encouraging for some time, has gonebeyond the boundaries of individual harassment to reach the level of masskilling,” said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

“If measures are not taken right away, news of otherdisasters will follow this one…I am calling on the world, in particular theWest, to take quick measures,” he said.

Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg urged theinternational community to combat all forms of extremism after the Christchurchattacks, which revived painful memories of the 2011 mass killings in Norway byrightwing extremist Anders Behring Breivik.

“It’s obviously very sad. It recalls painful memories of ourown experience with July 22, the most difficult moment in the post-war periodin Norway.”

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said he hoped NewZealand “will arrest these terrorists and do the necessary under the law of thecountry.”

Indonesian President Joko Widoyo, head of the world’slargest Muslim country, said “we strongly condemn these kind of violent acts”.

 “Harrowing news fromNew Zealand overnight,” said EU Council president Donald Tusk.

“The brutal attack…Will never diminish the tolerance anddecency that New Zealand is famous for.”

British Prime Minister Theresa May offered deepestcondolences “after the horrifying terrorist attack in Christchurch. My thoughtsare with all of those affected by this sickening act of violence.”

London’s police service said it was “stepping up reassurancepatrols around mosques and increasing engagement with communities of all faith,giving advice on how people and places can protect themselves.”

In Australia, police in New South Wales said there wereincreasing patrols around mosques as a precaution.

“There is no ongoing or specific threat to any mosque orplace of worship,” police said.

“An attack against peaceful people gathering for prayer isshocking in its cruelty and cynicism,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

“I hope that those involved will be severely punished,” hesaid in a message to Arden.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she mourned “with NewZealanders for their fellow citizens who were attacked and murdered out ofracist hatred while peacefully praying in their mosques. We stand togetheragainst such acts of terrorism.”

French President Emmanuel Macron echoed Merkel’s message,condemning an “odious attack” and saying France “stands againstany form of extremism”.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said the US-led alliance “standswith our friend and partner New Zealand in defence of our open societies andshared values”.

Spanish Premier Pedro Sanchez said his thoughts were withthe victims, families and government of New Zealand after attacks by”fanatics and extremists who want to destroy our societies”.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

13 + 20 =