@simon.doherty: Twenty-five years ago today, the worst homophobic attack the UK has ever seen took place in Soho, London. On 30 April 1999, a nail bomb was detonated in The Admiral Duncan, a popular gay pub on Old Compton Street. Three people were killed and more than 70 were injured as 1,500 nails and pieces of shrapnel flinged into the air, embedding into the flesh of the unsuspecting victims who were settling into the packed pub for a drink. John Light, 32, Nick Moore, 31 and Andrea Dykes, a 27-year-old pregnant woman, tragically lost their lives. It was the final bombing by terrorist David Copeland, a self-confessed racist, neo-Nazi, and homophobe, who, in the two weeks leading up to the incident, had already planted nail bombs at Brixton market in south London and on Brick Lane in the east of the city. His vicious campaign of violence was motivated by a hatred of Black and queer communities. Less than a week after the homophobic attack, David Copeland’s house was raided by the police who had been scrutinizing hours and hours of video footage in a bid to catch the killer. In his bedroom, Copeland had Nazi regalia, newspaper cuttings of his own attacks, and a plethora of far-right paraphernalia. In a police interview, he admitted his actions and said he had intended to start a “race war”. He was eventually charged and convicted with three counts of murder and three counts of causing an explosion in order to endanger life. He received six life sentences which carries a minimum term of 50 years in prison. The customers of The Admiral Duncan refused to be cowered, the pub was reopened nine weeks later at 18:37PM – the precise moment the bomb had exploded. And every April, the lives of those lost in the incident are remembered by London’s rich vibrant queer community. Copeland, now 47, will not be eligible for release until he is in his mid-70s. #truecrime #londonhistory #lgbtq

Simon Doherty

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Tuesday 30 April 2024 15:00:59 GMT