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Police carried out searches and questioned the suspect as Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other leaders paid tribute to David Amess, who was fatally stabbed at a voter assembly.
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By Mark Landler, Megan Specia and Stephen Castle
LONDON — As Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other British leaders paid tribute Saturday to a conservative lawmaker fatally stabbed a day earlier, police searched for 3 addresses in London’s domain as he made his way towards the 25-year-old arrested after the attack.
On Saturday night, London’s Metropolitan Police said it had received an order under the Terrorism Act to hold the suspect in custody for six days in connection with the killing of David Amess on a beach in the city east of London.
Police officially declared the attack a terrorist episode, with a possible link to Islamist extremism. They have not yet publicly called the suspect, who was arrested at the scene, but the BBC, which mentions government sources, knows him as Ali Harbi Ali, a Briton. national believed to be of Somali origin.
The BBC also reported that the suspect briefly referred to Britain’s Prevent programme, which aims to prevent other people from becoming radicalised.
Police said they had conducted 3 searches in the London area, one of which ended on Saturday, and asked the public to provide any data that could help the investigation.
The brutal attack on Amess, at noon and in public view, stunned the British political status quo and stoked questions about the safety of MPs. Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea, a network of quiet beaches that was disappointed Friday when lawmakers were attacked at a regime assembly with voters.
Lawmakers meet with their unprotected constituents to hear their considerations and complaints in sessions, called surgeries, that can infrequently become stormy.
An outdoor attack like a referendum in 2016 killed Jo Cox, a Labour MP. Another, in 2010, left Stephen Timms, also a Labour MP, seriously injured after being stabbed in the abdomen.
Amess’ stabbing also revived memories of other attacks through radicalised individuals, most recently in February 2020, when a 20-year-old boy with a history of extremism was shot dead by police after stabbing two pedestrians in south London.
The man, Sudesh Amman, had just been released halfway through a three-year sentence for distributing extremist curtains and possessing devices that may be useful in preparing a terrorist attack. Busy street.
In November 2019, police shot and killed Usman Khan, 28, on London Bridge after he stabbed himself, killing two others and wounding three. of being part of an organization that conspired to bomb the London Stock Exchange.
In April, Johnson’s government tightened terrorism laws, requiring those convicted of serious terrorism to serve a minimum of 14 years in prison, under stricter supervision. Some legal critics argue that the extension of criminal convictions only serves to further radicalize criminals.
As Scotland Yard searched for answers on Saturday, the public paid tribute to Amess in the service of the government.
Commissioner Roger Hirst of Essex Police, which has jurisdiction over Leigh-on-Sea, said in a statement that it was “a dark moment of mirror image not to forget a guy who worked so hard for his community, who served those he represented with a hobby and made a genuine difference for Southend.
“As we deal with those tragic events, it is vital that we know who he was and the contribution he made,” said Commissioner Hirst.
In the quiet streets of the city, the sudden spasm of violence has not yet been fully resolved. On Saturday morning, police probed citizens near the church for witnesses. he was killed.
Alan Dear, a 76-year-old councilman, spoke through tears about the lawmaker, who said he had helped him on his own crusade for office.
“She was just a fantastic person, very kind, caring and gentle,” M said. Dear. ” He spent his whole life: 40 years caring about people. All I was looking for was to solve people’s problems. “
More than an attack on a friend, Dear said the stabbing hit one of the pillars of political life in Britain.
“It’s an attack on David, but also an attack on democracy in this country,” he said. “It’s very vital that we stay in touch with our constituents. “
Dear, he said lawmakers should have greater protections, but not at the expense of ties to voters. In any case, the attack has introduced a pressing debate about the inadequacy of existing measures.
A conservative lawmaker, Tobias Ellwood, has called for a temporary suspension of face-to-face meetings until a security review is completed. Another, Michael Fabricant, said it would be safer for MPs to meet with the electorate through designations “rather than making a position and their location known in advance with whom they can enter the street. “
Harriet Harman, a longtime Labour mp of parliament, told the BBC she would urge Johnson to help in a special multi-party inquiry to look for tactics for the protection of lawmakers.
Stuart Andrew, deputy whip in the House of Commons, said that while the occasions of the previous day had made him “anxious, naturally”, he had made the decision not to discourage us and would hold his constituency’s public assembly on Saturday. in honour of Mr. Amess.
Home Affairs Minister Priti Patel has called on police to check security and touch each and every lawmaker. Speaking near the scene of the attack, Ms Patel said that “we cannot be intimidated by an individual or a motivation or other people with motives to save us from functioning in the service of our elected democracy. “
Amess’ friends said he is known for his passionate crusade for animal rights, as well as his social conservatism. He supported a ban on fox hunting, a position that put him at odds with some conservative colleagues, and sponsored a law banning ruthless attachment of animals. horses.
Amess, also a staunch supporter of the Iranian opposition organization Mujahedeen Khalq, or MEK, which is campaigning for the overthrow of the Iranian government, attracted a bipartisan list of American supporters, adding John R. Bolton, who served as national security adviser to President Donald Trump and Howard Dean, former chairman of the Democratic Party.
There is no evidence linking the attack to M’s support. Although the organization was once designated as a terrorist organization through the United States, Britain and the European Union, all 3 withdrew that designation several years ago.
David Jones, Conservative MP and head of the British Committee for Freedom in Iran, which the M. E. K. , praised Amess as “a champion of human rights and democracy in Iran for more than three decades”.
For the other people at Leigh-on-Sea, the absurdity of the attack is hard to understand, let alone accept.
“I just need to know, why?” said Audrey Martin, 66, who was shopping for groceries when Mr. Johnson and the other leaders arrived to lay flowers. “Why did he do it and why did he decide to come to Leigh-on-Sea?”
Fidelia McGhee, 48, who lives near the site of the attack, said Amess had championed local causes. While she described herself as a long-time Labour voter, she praised him as a typed and committed politician. He called the attack “a nightmare” that would leave an indelible mark on the city.
“It’s tragic,” he said. I think we’ve lost everything we’ll never get back. “
Mark Landler and Stephen Castle reported from London, and Megan Specia from Leigh-on-Sea, England.
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