Attack in Münster

https://www.thelocal.de/20180408/ram...r-what-we-know

I have the pleasure of living in the historical city of Münster in the North of Germany. Its a lovely city, full of students for the universities and training centers all over the city. Some 8,000 people work at the university hospital alone. Its a bit like Oxford but with more bicycles.

Earlier this year though, we had what was first thought to be a terrorist attack but later turned out to be a lone man who had lost his marbles. He drove his van through the city and into the forecourt of a well known pub/restaurant in the city center. As a result he sadly killed two people (a third died a few weeks later). We ( the city ) were in shock that such a thing could happen in this city.

But, here we are , 8 months later, and the city is full of tourists. In fact they never stopped coming. I think we have 5 Christmas markets in the center that will be open from last weekend until the weekend before xmas. And they are jammed full.
https://www.stadt-muenster.de/weihna...e-sprache.html
The center feels safer than ever as we now have security on every major corner and very large water bags at every entrance to the town center. Its incredible how we as people shrug this all off, it happened, get over it. We walk around the center, knowing that this happened but no one worries about it.

Many, many years ago, far more than I care to remember :rolleyes: I was living in Bristol at the time of race riots which made world headlines. There were similar in Brixton, London and Toxteth, Liverpool.

On the night in question I was less than a mile away enjoying an evening in the city centre and blissfully unaware of what was happening nearby.

Some months later I was on a flight to New York and found myself sitting next to a man returning home to New York. He asked where I came from and his face was a picture of horror when I told him.

Gee! Is it safe to go out there now? he asked.

He couldn't believe we had not been affected by it and all we were worried about was our safety in New York. :biggrin:

I worked in an office at Oxford Circus during some of the IRA's last major bombing campaigns. The shop beneath us was targeted twice ( Top Shop) and the two buildings next door (C&A and Mr Byrite) both had small bombs. The place over the road where we ate our breakfast ( Littlewoods) was also bombed.
I spent 5 hours stuck on a (non corridor) train between stations the day Victoria and Paddington were bombed.

Life went on. The hysteria wasn't fanned by rumours on social media or 'eyewitnesses' on 24 hour rolling news - you had to wait until you got home and switched on the 9 o'clock news to find out what went on. Everyone was more annoyed about public transport being shut down in the aftermath.

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Originally Posted by pw66

Life went on. The hysteria wasn't fanned by rumours on social media or 'eyewitnesses' on 24 hour rolling news - you had to wait until you got home and switched on the 9 o'clock news to find out what went on.

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Good points.

I heard an IRA bomb go off in Bristol but it never stopped anyone shopping. It took Amazon to do that.

My sister was working in Canary Wharf at the times of the attacks in London and in Canary Wharf when that was attacked. She wasn't really aware what was going on and I was more worried than she was.

This weekend we will be in Münster city center in the same place where the attack happened. ( Along with another 500 people) . It hasnt stopped us going there, why should it? Security is all around and no vehicles are allowed in the center.

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Originally Posted by StellaD

Good points.

It took Amazon to do that.

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:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:! Sad but true.