The " One Love Manchester" event will take place as planned but with extra protection
LONDON — Security will be increased for the highly-anticipated Ariana Grande benefit concert later Sunday, Manchester Police say.
The » One Love Manchester » event will take place as planned but with extra protection.
The announcement comes in the wake of an attack that killed seven people. The attack started Saturday night when a van veered off the road and barreled into pedestrians on London Bridge. Three men fled the van with large knives and attacked people at bars and restaurants in nearby Borough Market, police and witnesses said.
The attack unfolded quickly, and police said officers had shot and killed the three attackers within eight minutes. Emergency officials said 48 people were treated at London hospitals and a number of others suffered less serious injuries.
Assistant Chief Constable Garry Shewan said Sunday there will be additional security checks and everyone will be searched at the Manchester event, which is a benefit concert for victims of a deadly attack last month at Grande’s Manchester Arena concert. Armed police will also attend.
All proceeds from the event will go to the victims of the May 22 attack that killed 22 and injured 112 others. Organizers expect to raise nearly £2 million, about $2,579,000.
Grande has been meeting with some attack victims being treated in Manchester hospitals in recent days. She will be joined at Sunday’s benefit by Katy Perry, Cold Play, Justin Beiber and others.
« Our response to this violence must be to come closer together, to help each other, to love more, to sing louder and to live more kindly and generously than we did before, » Grande said on Twitter, announcing the show. « Music is meant to heal us, to bring us together, to make us happy. So that is what it will continue to do for us. »
