Live Updates: The Man Who Died In The Finsbury Park Attack Has Been Identified By Police

    A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after driving a white van into a group of people near Finsbury Park Mosque. A witness told BuzzFeed News the man shouted that he wanted to "kill all Muslims".

    What We Know So Far

    • A man driving a white van drove into a group of worshippers who had just left Ramadan prayers at a mosque in north London. Ten people were wounded.
    • One person died at the scene, but the Metropolitan police say he was being given first aid before the attack and it's not clear whether he died as a result of it.
    • On Thursday, the man who died was identified as Makram Ali, 51, of Haringey, London.
    • Witnesses said the assailant yelled out that he wanted to "kill all Muslims".
    • When the van came to a stop after hitting a bollard, witnesses say the driver got out and was tackled by three men, who held him down until police arrived.
    • Prime minister Theresa May said the attack was a terrorist act and "every bit as sickening" as other recent incidents.
    • A man, identified locally as 47-year-old Darren Osborne, has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. The Met described the incident as a terror attack.
    • Osborne's family said they were shocked and had not heard him express racist or extremist views in the past.
    • London mayor Sadiq Khan called it a "horrific terrorist attack on innocent people".

    Map of the location of the attack:

    Updates

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    The man who died at the scene following the Finsbury Park attack has been identified as Makram Ali

    The man who died at the scene of the terrorist attack in #FinsburyPark is formally identified as Makram Ali, 51… https://t.co/9ZWPVxLmdi

    The Metropolitan police have identified the man who died following Monday's attack near Finsbury Park Mosque as Makram Ali, 51, of Haringey, London.

    Preliminary findings of a special postmortem carried out on Monday show that he died from multiple injuries, a statement said.

    Ali emigrated from Bangladesh to the UK at the age of 10, and was married with four daughters, two sons, and two grandchildren.

    The family described Ali as peace-loving and gentle, and as a man with no enemies. The Alis had been due to fly out to Canada for a family holiday.

    “We are devastated by the loss of a husband, father, brother and grandfather, Makram Ali, in this tragic event," a statement issued by the family via police said.

    “Our father was a quiet gentle man, he didn’t get involved in political or social discussion, he instead took comfort and enjoyment spending time with his wife, children and grandchildren and he was always ready to make a funny joke when you least expected.”

    “We wish everyone to know what a loving man he was, he spent his whole life without any enemies, choosing a quiet life instead. We as a family have always believed that the actions of one person cannot be a reflection of a whole people and I have no doubt that our father would not wish for there to be any retaliation or recriminations and would urge people to remain calm and to pray for peace in these difficult times.”

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    Police have obtained a warrant for the further detention of the Finsbury Park attack suspect

    Police have said that the 47-year-old they arrested in connection with Monday morning's attack near Finsbury Park Mosque in north London remains in custody. They have obtained a warrant for further detention, which runs until early Saturday morning.

    A person was pronounced dead at the scene. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Metropolitan police said they were still trying to ascertain whether that person's death was linked to the attack.

    The statement also said four people remained in hospital, a number confirmed by the latest patient figures issued by NHS England on Wednesday. Of the four, two people are in critical care.

    –Francis Whittaker

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    Three people are in critical care following the attack in north London

    Seven people remain in three London hospitals – three in critical care – following a terror attack near a London mosque early on Monday morning.

    One man died on the scene, and 10 people were treated near the mosque by London Ambulance Service crews in the early hours of Monday morning. Eight people were transported to hospital.

    The attack occurred as people came out of the mosque following evening prayers, when a van was driven through the busy crowds, hitting worshippers. A man, named locally as Darren Osborne, has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

    The NHS released the latest figures for those being treated, correcting a figure from yesterday from the Royal London hospital. The trust is caring for five people, three of whom are in critical condition.

    Whittington hospital is treating one person, as is St Mary's. Neither hospital has anyone in critical care.

    –Rose Troup Buchanan

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    Man who died near Finsbury Park Mosque named by relatives and neighbours

    The man who died near the London mosque on Sunday night has been named by neighbours and friends of his family.

    Makram Ali was being tended on Seven Sisters Road, having fallen unwell, when a vehicle drove through the crowds that had gathered.

    The father of five had been fitted with a pacemaker two years ago, and walked with a stick. He was reportedly well known in the local area, and was frequently seen walking. He is believed to have emigrated from Bangladesh.

    His daughter, who has not been named, was alerted by a relative following the assault, and ran to the mosque from the family's home nearby. She reportedly told a neighbour her father was alive and conscious when she arrived, but later died of his injuries.

    "He walked out of the mosque and he slipped down and he fell. Then people came to give him water and checking his heart. The van came and ran over his legs. He was conscious," a neighbour said he had been told, The Times reported.

    Details of the 10 people, seven of whom remain in hospital, injured in the attack have also begun to emerge.

    Grandmother Hirsiyo Ali, 72, was reportedly walking from the mosque when she was struck by the van. Her 16-year-old granddaughter Najma Ahmed said her and her family were "heartbroken" by the attack.

    "She is badly injured and she had not opened her eyes," she told the newspaper. " She was walking with a friend who is OK. She is a religious person. She goes to the mosque a lot. She is a nice lady who gives a lot back to the community."

    Hamza Sharif was named as another victim by his nephew, who wished to remain anonymous, but who said he was recovering in hospital. "He is bleeding out of his ear, but in general his health was stable," he said.

    A mother of three, including an 8-month-old baby, is reportedly in a coma in hospital, having had both her legs broken, a relative said. An Algerian man in his twenties sustained broken ribs and reportedly some internal injuries in the attack, according to witnesses. Another man, named as Noureddine Bidi, is believed to have had his leg injured as he pushed an individual in a wheelchair to safety.

    –Rose Troup Buchanan

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    Family of suspect says they're shocked and sorry for what happened

    Family members of the man accused of the Finsbury Park attack said they were shocked about what had happened and offered their condolences to the victims.

    "We are massively shocked; it's unbelievable, it still hasn't really sunk in. We are devastated for the families, our hearts go out to the people who have been injured," Ellis Osborne, the nephew of the suspect, told The Guardian. He added that he had never heard his uncle express racist views.

    Darren Osborne, 47, was identified as the suspect by his family and neighbors. His name has not been officially released by police.

    "I am very sorry for what's happened," Osborne's sister Nicola told the Press Association.

    His mother told ITV that she learned about Osborne's arrest via television. She described her son as "complex", but she added that she wasn't aware of him having any extremist views. She called the attack an atrocity.

    "I'm not going to defend him, but he's my son and it's a terrible, terrible shock," she said.

    Claudia Koerner

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    Finsbury Park stands united after attack

    In the hours after after a terror attack on Muslims leaving their place of worship, the multicultural community in Finsbury Park, north London, remains united.

    Shortly after midnight, in the early hours of Monday morning, a man drove a van through pedestrians leaving prayers on Seven Sisters Road as they tended to an elderly man who had fainted. Eight people were injured, and the elder man died at the scene.

    A number of eyewitnesses claimed the suspect said "this is for London Bridge" after passersby pinned him down, referring to the recent terror attack committed by three Islamist extremists, which killed eight people.

    "We won't let this tiny minority from either side of extremism win, either Muslim or far right," Yussuf Ahmed, coordinator of Islington Somali community centre, which is next door to Finsbury Park Mosque, told BuzzFeed News.

    Read more here.

    –Laura Silver

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    People who pinned down terror suspect heard him say it "was for London Bridge"

    Witnesses of the Finsbury Park terror attack have told BuzzFeed News how they and others caught the driver of the white van that ploughed into Muslim worshippers in the early hours of Monday.

    A 26-year-old Muslim local, who asked not to be identified, said he had been among the first on the scene. He had been sitting in his friend's café in Seven Sisters Road when an elderly Bangladeshi man fell "right at my feet". He and others tried to help the man when the white van drove into people.

    When the van came to a stop, the witness said he heard the driver saying: "This is for London Bridge. I want to kill Muslims. I've done my job."

    Read more here.

    –Aisha Gani

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    Mosque attacker named locally by neighbours in Wales

    Several people who said they know the man who allegedly drove a van through pedestrians near Finsbury Park Mosque shortly after midnight on Monday morning have named him as 47-year-old Darren Osborne, media reports have claimed.

    A man who said he was a former schoolmate told The Mirror that Osborne came from Somerset but lived in Cardiff with his partner and four children.

    "I went to school with him, I've known him for 35 years, it's 100% him," he said.

    Police have arrested a 47-year-old man on suspicion of terrorist offences following Monday's attack but have not yet named the suspect.

    Police also confirmed they are searching an address in Cardiff in connection with the attack.

    It is believed that the suspect acted alone, police said.

    –Laura Silver

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    Police have detained a 47-year-old man for “for terrorism offences”

    A 47-year-old man arrested following a terror attack in which a van collided with pedestrians in Seven Sisters Road on Monday morning is being held at a police station in south London on terrorism offences, the Metropolitan police have said. He was also arrested for the commission, preparation, or instigation of terrorism including murder and attempted murder.

    Eight people were injured and one man died at the scene of the attack. The man who died had been receiving first aid when the attack took place, and police are working to establish whether there is any link between his death and the attack.

    Police declared the incident a terrorist attack shortly after it took place.

    On Monday afternoon police said that searches are being carried out at a residential address in Cardiff, and although it is believed that the attacker acted alone, police are investigating all possible circumstances leading to the attack.

    Extra measures to protect places of worship, and in particular Muslim places of worship, are being taken by police following Monday's attack.

    "This was an attack on London and all Londoners. We should all stand together against extremists whatever their cause," the Met's Deputy Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu said.

    –Laura Silver

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    Rabbi says meeting with PM felt "real, substantial and helpful"

    Rabbi Herschel Gluck, chairman of the Muslim-Jewish Forum, said the community leaders' meeting this afternoon at Finsbury Park Mosque, which was attended by Theresa May, had been positive and productive.

    "It felt real, it felt real, it felt substantial and it felt helpful," Gluck told BuzzFeed News outside the mosque shortly afterwards. The meeting was also attended by Labour leader and local MP Jeremy Corbyn and London mayor Sadiq Khan.

    He praised the PM, whom he felt had changed her approach to the aftermath of tragedy following criticism for not having met residents of Grenfell Tower in west London after last week's fire.

    "She listened, she engaged, she took on board the issues that were raised by the people that she met with," Gluck said. "One felt that she wasn't just going through the motions, but she actually cared about the real substantial matters that need to be addressed."

    He said May, Corbyn, and Khan were keen to find solutions.

    "They weren't trying to score political points, they were here to offer their condolences and to hear what issues are of concern to the local community and how they can be addressed," he said.

    Gluck said security and "being part of the fabric of British society" are the main concerns of the local community, who he said have good interfaith relationships.

    "It is about not being seen as an alien element in British society but being part and parcel of that society," he said.

    –Laura Silver

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    Minister says the suspected attacker was “not known” to security services

    Ben Wallace, the Conservative security minister, has told Sky News that the man suspected of driving a van into crowds near Finsbury Park Mosque was "not known to authorities".

    "This man was not known to authorities in this base of extremism, or far-right extremism," he said. "He clearly took advantage of a simple weapon, a vehicle, to make an attack on people doing about their business.

    "This is a terrorist attack in the same way that the bomber of Manchester blew up many people only recently. This is a pure terror attack designed to inflict terror, and fear, and also hurt people in some twisted cause."

    In a separate interview on the BBC's World at One, the security minister reiterated: "This isn't a hate crime. It's an act of terrorism. Simple as that."

    Wallace pointed to the numbers of people being referred to Prevent, the government's anti-radicalisation strategy, and Channel, its deradicalisation programme, saying:

    "We have seen an increase in people being referred into Prevent for far-right views, and indeed in some parts of the country the far-right referrals on to Channel are greater than the referrals for other people who have been referred to Prevent. We take it seriously. We treat that type of extremism and potential radicalisation into violence incredibly seriously."

    The MP also said there had been 15,000 prosecutions last year "for hate-related crimes".

    –Rose Troup Buchanan

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    Imam who helped to shield suspect condemns "tragic and barbaric terrorist attack"

    The imam hailed as a hero for protecting the man suspected of running down worshippers with a van near a Finsbury Park mosque has described the aftermath of the attack.

    Mohammed Mahmoud said he had just finished evening prayers in his mosque when a man rushed in to tell the community something had happened outside. Running to the street, Mahmoud said he saw a number of people gathered around a man who was on the floor.

    "He had been restrained by around three people," he said. "We found that a group of people quickly started to collect around the assailant and some of them tried to hit him, either kicks or punches. By God's grace we managed to surround him and protect him from any harm. We stopped all forms of attack and abuse that were coming from every angle."

    Mahmoud said that as this scene unfolded, a police van happened to be driving past, which he and a number of other men flagged down. "We told them the situation and that the man was restrained after he had mowed down a group of people with his van. There's a mob attempting to hurt him, and if you don't take him, god forbid he might be seriously hurt.

    "We pushed people away from him until he was safely taken by police into custody and put into the back of the van.

    "That's all that we did. It wasn't me alone. There were some other brothers, I don't know their names, who were calm and collected and managed to calm people down and to extinguish any flames of anger or mob rule that would have taken charge had this group of mature brothers not stepped in."

    Responding to a question about whether Mahmoud was worried about anger following the attack, he said his community was "mild mannered, calm" and "not known for their violence".

    "Our mosques are incredibly peaceful," he said. "I can assure you we will do our utmost to calm down any tensions. Immediately after the incident people who were calm, people were praying for the victims of the attack. Everybody knew that there was nothing more they could do for them than pray for them and let the emergency services carry out their exemplary job."

    On the attacker, Mahmoud said he drove the van perpendicular to the street and with "enough [force] to make people fly off to one side".

    He said they were concerned that one of those injured could be paralysed for life, as he "could not move his arm or legs" and said he could not feel them. The attacker himself appeared "calm", and said nothing after Mahmoud arrived and he was bundled into a police van.

    Mahmoud labelled the incident a "tragic and barbaric terrorist attack. All life is sacred."

    He added: "[It] may be proof that this demonisation of the Muslim community by those who may have ulterior motives who wish to divide this city and country has succeeded to some extent influencing the vulnerable and impressible into thinking that we are barbaric, and that we are people who like to shed blood and therefore that we must be eliminated and exterminated.

    "It's on par with the London Bridge attack, which was obviously a terrorist attack and one which we condemn, and we just hope that in times of tragedy people come together and unite."

    Read more about how bystanders stepped in here.

    –Rose Troup Buchanan

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    Khan: Finsbury Park terror incident is "an attack on our shared values"

    Mayor of London Sadiq Khan branded this morning's attack outside a mosque in Finsbury Park "an attack on our shared values," and called the wave of tragic incidents in the city of the last few weeks "unprecedented".

    Speaking alongside Metropolitan police commissioner Cressida Dick near the site of the attack on Seven Sisters Road, Khan said: "This is a truly horrific terrorist attack on our city, where innocent bystanders were deliberately targeted after returning from the Tarawih Ramadan prayers."

    "As you know, one person died on the scene, eight people were seriously injured and three people were treated on the pavements."

    He added that attack, like the attacks in Westminster, Manchester Arena, and London Bridge, was an "attack on our shared values. Our values of tolerance, freedom, and respect. We will not allow these terrorists to succeed."

    "Londoners will see an increase number of visible police officers, particularly around mosques and holy places of worship as we approach the holy day of Eid, and the last few days of Ramadan. ... There will be a zero tolerance towards hate crime.

    "These have been a terrible few weeks for London. Unprecedented in recent times. We've seen the horror of the fire of Grenfell Tower. We've seen the attack on London Bridge, and before that on Westminster Bridge, and we saw last night the terrorist attack here in Seven Sisters. We will stay a strong city, we will ensure that we are not cowed by terrorism, and we will not be defeated. We are united today, and we will continue to be a united city."

    Earlier in the press briefing, Dick said: "We have a number of people in hospital whose lives have been turned upside down."

    Dick said eight people were injured. However, an NHS update released a short while beforehand said seven people were currently receiving treatment.

    She continued: "We treat this as a terrorist attack. We in the Met are as shocked as anybody in the local community or across the country, at what has happened.

    "The people who perpetrate attacks like this think that they will break our society down, and cause divisions between us. They won't do that, they won't win. This is a very resilient city and this is a very, very resilient set of communities," Dick added.

    –Francis Whittaker and Rose Troup Buchanan

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    Seven people remain in hospital, NHS confirms

    Seven people remain in three London hospitals following a terror attack outside a mosque last night. One person died on the scene.

    Eight people were initially taken to the Royal London, Whittington, and St Mary's hospital by the London Ambulance Service (LAS) last night. The NHS said in a statement that only seven remained: four in Royal London, two in Whittington, and one in St Mary's.

    "Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the appalling incident at Seven Sisters Road in Finsbury Park earlier this morning. We are working closely with emergency services and all organisations involved," a NHS spokesperson said in a statement.

    Rose Troup Buchanan

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    PM arrives at Finsbury Park mosque to meet local community

    Theresa May has arrived in north London to speak to local community leaders in the wake of an attack outside a mosque last night.

    The prime minister went to Finsbury Park Mosque speak to local councillors, and faith leaders including those from the Muslim, Jewish, and Christian communities.

    Earlier, as she went into the building, the Conservative leader was heckled by onlookers who shouted "May must go".

    The visit was arranged this morning at short notice – those invited to attend were told that the prime minister would be paying a visit, and were asked to come along.

    One man at the scene who saw May arrive said the prime minister had already been inside the Welfare House in Finsbury Park for "quite some time", in contrast to her initial visit to Grenfell Tower, when she visited some time after the fire, and spent only about 15 minutes on the scene.

    Shouts of "May must go" from onlookers as the PM goes into Finsbury Park Mosque to meet community leaders.

    It's in marked contrast to her behaviour during the Grenfell Tower fire aftermath. She was heavily criticised for not immediately talking to residents and survivors of the blaze, instead meeting with emergency workers. She eventually went to a hospital treating some of the wounded, and met them on Friday.

    Also present in the area were Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and London mayor Sadiq Khan. The pair reportedly met nearby and walked down to the mosque.

    London Mayor Sadiq Khan has arrived at the #FinsburyParkattack scene. Headed towards mosque with Corbyn.

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    London ambulance crews were on scene in 14 minutes

    Latest statement: Our thoughts are with all of those affected by the incident in #FinsburyPark earlier today… https://t.co/o7eeJUmOGO

    Peter McKenna, London Ambulance Service deputy director of operations, said: "Our thoughts are with all of those affected by the incident in Finsbury Park and their friends and family."

    In a statement, he confirmed that eight people were taken to three London hospitals and treated others at the scene for minor injuries.

    The first medics arrived within 14 minutes of the first emergency call. In total, 60 medics including ambulance crews, advanced paramedics, specialist response teams and an advanced trauma team from London's Air Ambulance attended the scene.

    –Rose Troup Buchanan

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    Brave bystanders stepped in to protect the man suspected of driving the van through crowds

    A group of Muslim bystanders stepped in to protect the suspect accused of driving a van into a crowds of worshippers outside a mosque, to prevent him from being turned on by angry people who witnessed the attack.

    In footage captured from the scene, a man, believed to be 30-year-old imam Mohammed Mahmoud, can be heard on camera saying, "move away from him" to a group of people who appear to have arrived at the scene after the incident and had surrounded a man on the ground.

    Abdulrahman Saleh Alamoudi told BuzzFeed News he was one of those who had helped to detain the man. "I held him, he was screaming before that he was saying 'I'm going to kill all Muslims'. He was throwing punches all over then we managed to get him on the floor.

    "Then we managed to get him on the floor, and he was saying: 'oh kill me, kill me'. We said: 'We're not going to kill you, why did you do that?' and he wouldn't say anything."

    You can read more here.

    –Hannah Al-Othman, Aisha Gani, and James Ball

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    Islington Somali community leader says locals won't be divided by Finsbury Park attack

    A local community leader has said that people in Islington will not be divided by the Finsbury Park attack and that remaining positive is the only way to fight those who seek to sow division.

    "It's not a war or target on Muslims, it's a war on all of us – that's the way we want to confront it," Yussuf Ahmed, the coordinator of the Islington Somali community centre, next to Finsbury Park Mosque, told BuzzFeed News.

    Sunday night's attack took place less than a month after eight people were killed in a van and knife attack at London Bridge by three men acting on behalf of ISIS.

    "We won't let this tiny minority from either side of extremism, either Muslim or far right, we will not accept the way they are," Ahmed said. "People will be united and they will be against it."

    Ahmed had earlier joined Labour leader, and local MP for the Finsbury Park area Jeremy Corbyn, who visited the site of the attack.

    "I was with him all this morning, and it's not only this morning, all the time he stands for the community and he plays a positive role," Ahmed said. "His action is useful and helpful. It makes the spirit of people here strong, to get together and fight against these evil actions."

    Nabil, a Finsbury Park local who preferred not to give his last name (pictured on right above), was pleased to see Corbyn at the scene. "Jeremy is one of us, he's like a neighbour," Nabil said. "We walks around here, he's without any police. He's from round here, he is a Londoner. He's a good person."

    Following Sunday's attack, many in Finsbury Park have criticised the media's portrayal of the attack, and felt that the government, which has now said it considers the incident to be terrorism, would have been quicker to do so had the attacker been a Muslim.

    "We are urging the media to be reasonable and be positive," Ahmed said. "It's not in the interest of anyone to create division and spread hatred. London and the UK is proud of its diversity. That's why we are successful."  –Laura Silver

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    People of different faiths are coming together after the Finsbury Park terror attack

    After a terror attack occurred in the early hours of the morning outside a mosque in Finsbury Park, people of different faiths are coming together.

    Speaking to the BBC early this morning, three faith leaders said this attack would not divide them.

    "We are not in it as Muslim or Jews or Christians. If part of our community – in this case, it is [Muslims] that are targeted – we are all together shoulder-to-shoulder as you see now," said Sayed Yousif Alkohey, director of the Islamic Centre Northwest London.

    In the early hours after the incident occurred, the Muslim Council of Britain tweeted: "Our prayers are with the victims."

    Reverend Adrian Newham, the Bishop of Stepney, said: "An attack on one faith is an attack on all faiths".

    Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, described the attack as "appalling". "It is a crime against God and against humanity," he said.

    And senior Rabbi to Reform Judaism Laura Janner-Klausner said: "This is the kind of behaviour is absolutely condemned by Britain."

    You can read more about faith leaders' reactions here.

    –Victoria Sanusi

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    PM condemns terror attack as "every bit as sickening as those before"

    The prime minister has condemned the attack outside a London mosque as "every bit as sickening as those that had come before".

    Theresa May, speaking outside Number 10 after having chaired an emergency Cobra meeting this morning, strongly condemned the extremism that may have prompted yet another terror attack in a city still suffering from an earlier assault this month.

    "It was an attack that once again targeted the ordinary and the innocent going about their daily lives. This time British Muslims as they left mosque having broken their fast," she said.

    "This was an attack on Muslims near their place of worship, and like all terrorism in whatever form it shares the same fundamental goal. It seeks to drive us apart and to break the precious bonds of solidarity and citizenship that we share in this country. We will not let this happen."

    May said that at the "heart" of the United Kingdom was a bond and a belief in "the fundamental freedoms and liberties that we all cherish, the freedom of speech, the freedom to live how we choose, and yes, the freedom to practice religion in peace.

    "This morning we have seen a sickening attempt to destroy these freedoms, and to break those bonds of citizenship that define our United Kingdom.

    "It is a reminder that terrorism, extremism, and hatred take many forms and our determination to tackle them must be the same whoever is responsible," she said. May said she had said there had been too much tolerance of "extremism of any kind, including Islamophobia" over the past few years.

    "This government will act to stamp out extremist and hateful ideology, both across society and on the internet, so that it is denied a safe space to grow," she said.

    The PM's strong speech is a marked departure from her reluctance to speak last week in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire, which has so far claimed the lives of 79 people.

    It also comes after communities minister Savid Javid visited the scene in north London and met local leaders and residents. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who lives up the road from where the attack took place, has also been talking to locals.

    –Rose Troup Buchanan

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    "This is a hate crime," communities minister Savid Javid says as he visits scene

    The Conservative MP and minister for communities Savid Javid has visited the site of last night's attack, and spoken to witnesses.

    "Clearly what we've seen, and what we know already, this is a hate crime attack," Javid told the BBC, and said that he wanted to reassure the local community that the government would take a "zero tolerance" approach to hate crimes.

    Javid said: "The Muslim community has our full support in every way, but I also want to learn from the community here what more we can do to reassure them at this very difficult time."

    Earlier, local MP and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn had been meeting residents: "I've met both last night and this morning people who were just frightened, were just frightened that something like this could happen again."

    Police updating Corbyn on #FinsburyParkattack – Corbyn also appears to be speaking to locals behind cordon.

    He continued: "We obviously need efficient and effective policing we obviously need an attitude in our society of support for each other. The only way to deal with kind of issue is communities coming together.

    "This is a very multi-faith community – Christians, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, all live around here. This is a microcosm of a community working together.

    "An attack on a mosque, an attack on a synagogue, an attack on a church, is actually an attack on all of us. We have to protect each other's faith each other's way of life. That's what makes us a strong society and community."

    Nabil (right) isn't surprised to see Corbyn at the scene. "He is my neighbour, he is one of the family". Does't exp… https://t.co/048car3xz8

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    Hatred against Muslims has become has become "normal", Muslim Council of Britain warns

    Miqaad Versi, assistant secretary general for the Muslim Council of Britain, said the attack has shocked the Muslim community, both locally and nationally, and said there needed to be a better response to countering Islamophobia.

    "It's not really about the police, it's about an overall strategy," he said. "What we see on a everyday basis, according to Baroness Warsi – she talked about how Islamophobia has passed the dinner party test – hatred against Muslims has become has become mainstream, it has become normal.

    "Over half of the British population, 50%, thinking that Islam is a threat to civilisation. If this is the kind of alarm that is being spread by certain sections of the media that is caused, what Cambridge University called a atmosphere of hostility against Muslims, it has to be tackled.

    "We have national newspapers spreading hate, and talking about how less Islam is the answer to the threat of terrorism that we face right now. These people are spreading hate against Muslims and people might be responding to that and talking about less Islam. This might be the result. We cannot have this happening."

    His warnings come as locals, speaking to BuzzFeed News, said they felt that some of the media's reactions to recent terror attacks had emboldened racist attacks.

    Earlier today, Versi had pointed out how news website MailOnline had changed the headline on its story about the attack.

    Disgusting (albeit changed): Mail Online victim-blame Muslims for attack on Muslim worshippers outside Muslim Welfa… https://t.co/UOHzCn0DOn

    LBC broadcaster James O'Brien, who has been an outspoken critic of much of the right-wing press, also tweeted about a recently published a comment piece by The Sun titled "If we want peace then we need one thing – less Islam".

    Just a couple of weeks since The Sun carried a headline stating '...We Need Less Islam'. A fool could see some migh… https://t.co/OeWn3JEVsJ

    Other prominent social media users have also pointed out that the mosque where the attack took place won an award in 2014 for combating extremism – only the third religious organisation to get a Visible Quality Mark.

    Versi, still speaking to Sky News, said hate crime had gone up, citing the Metropolitan police figures and the mayor of London, and that not enough was being done to protect and help those communities affected by this wave of hatred.

    However, he did praise Sadiq Khan's comments this morning, in which the mayor promised more officers on the streets to safeguard communities.

    –Rose Troup Buchanan

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    In pictures: Finsbury Park Mosque terror attack

    You can see more here.

    –Matthew Tucker

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    The archbishop of Canterbury has condemned the Finsbury Park attack

    The attack at #FinsburyPark mosque is abhorrent. We stand in solidarity with our Muslim friends and pray for the bereaved and injured.

    Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby – the principal leader of the Church of England – has condemned this morning's attack on Finsbury Park, and said the church stands in solidarity with Britain's Muslim community.

    –Francis Whittaker

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    Cabinet minister Michael Gove labels attack “repellent” and disgusting

    "Repellent and disgusting" terror attack condemned by Environment Secretary @michaelgove #FinsburyPark

    "It was clearly an attack to not just to cause human suffering but to divide us," he said. "I think the correct response first of all is to applaud the resilience and the compassion of those who were the victims of the attack."

    Gove, who was recently reappointed to the cabinet as environment secretary, said those affected need to be at the forefront of everyone's thoughts, and they needed to "get the very best care and support".

    "We need to get behind the facts, and work out what on earth happened and make sure that we can keep people safe."

    –Rose Troup Buchanan

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    Eyewitnesses describe attack outside mosque

    Ibn Omar, a man in his early twenties who has been worshipping at Finsbury Park Mosque his whole life and spent most Ramadans here, was visibly shocked by the attack he saw last night.

    "I came here today to break my fast," he said, "and prayed Maghrib, sunset prayer, then after I went to eat. When I went to the shop and came back I just see people on the floor screaming, crying, I see the assailant getting held down, after police came, detained him."

    Omar told BuzzFeed News the "heartbreaking" attack was a "tragedy and it's devastating". He criticised police officers and officials who he said initially put the attack down to a collision: "What's even more sad and annoying and aggravating is the fact the government and police initially didn't put this down as a terrorist offence," he said.

    Meanwhile, a teenager who witnessed last night's attack from her bedroom window said she heard "bones crack" when a van drove into people outside Finsbury Park Mosque on Sunday night.   Ibtisam, who lives on the road where the incident took place, told BuzzFeed News she heard people shouting "stop" as the van appeared to pick up speed and head towards pedestrians.   "The guy in the van was putting on the engine and everyone was like, 'Stop, stop, what are you doing?' and he just ran over the guy," Ibtisam said. "We just heard bones crack. We saw so much blood and people under the van. It was definitely deliberate."

    She described seeing two people lying on the ground following the attack and others who were injured.   In the hours following the attack, Ibtisam felt the media was not clear enough that the incident which had taken place was a terrorist attack and believed there had been some suggestion the attack may not have been deliberate.   "We saw the whole thing," she said. "Whatever you see on the news is completely different, saying it wasn't deliberate. It's just lies, we saw it with our own eyes, it wasn't accidental."   "This is a terrorist attack. It is a terrorist attack," she continued. "When other things happen, like London Bridge, they call it a terrorist attack, but when there's actually Muslims helping they don't want to call it a terrorist attack."   Both Ibtisam and her friend, who also witnessed the attack but preferred not to be named, said they feel unsafe and as though they could be the targets of Muslim hate crime.   "I feel so targeted in this area. All the attacks are coming closer and closer to home. Just last night it was right outside my front door and it was scary. I could be dead," the friend said.   The teenager added that she has recently avoided going out alone.   "I honestly don't feel safe. My parents told me I can't go out if I'm by myself. They say walk in groups," she said.   "I'm always expecting something to happen directly to me."

    –Aisha Gani and Laura Silver

    Ibn Omar, in his early 20s, has been coming to #FinsburyPark his whole life and says it was "pandemonium" and saw b… https://t.co/h5izfZ71L9

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    "We can’t allow these terrorists to fuel division or to change the way we lead our lives," London mayor says

    "This has been a horrific terrorist attack," the London mayor Sadiq Khan has said.

    "The attack on Westminster Bridge, the attack on London Bridge, the attack in Manchester, the attack last night. All of these are attacks on our shared values of freedom, tolerance, and respect. Terrorism is terrorism," Khan told Sky News. "Whether someone is inspired by an Islamist narrative or other forms of, inverted commas, 'inspiration'."

    "Our thoughts are with them," he said. "We are a great city. We can't allow these terrorists to fuel division or to change the way we lead our lives."

    Khan praised the mosque's Imam Mohammed Mahmoud for his calm actions in the immediate aftermath of the incident.

    He urged Britons to report any Islamophobic hate crime they might be subjected to: "My key message to everyone in London, and across the country, is please report. Don't think that it's too trivial."

    Khan said counterterrorism teams "worked really hard" to tackle hate, from far-right groups to those radicalised in the name of Islam. "What is important to recognise is that just like you have people trying to brainwash, indoctrinate, and radicalise youngsters and others in a perverse version of Islam, similarly there are people who try to radicalise, indoctrinate, brainwash others using other motivations as well," he said.

    "All these groups, one of the key objectives they have is to try and fuel division. What all of them hate is our shared values of freedom, tolerance, respect."

    –Rose Troup Buchanan

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    This video shows Muslim worshippers holding back angry bystanders from the suspected van attacker

    video-cdn.buzzfeed.com

    A video has emerged that appears to show the man alleged have to driven through a crowd of worshippers outside a London mosque being restrained.

    The footage, which was supplied to BuzzFeed News by an individual who was at the mosque when the incident unfolded, also appears to show Muslim worshippers holding back angry bystanders from the suspected van attacker.

    "Move away from him," a voice can be heard telling the crowds, as a man calmly gestures at a number of men who appear to have arrived at the scene after the incident, standing near a man on the ground. No others shown in the video are thought to have been involved in the attack.

    –Aisha Gani

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    "We will never allow hate to divide us," Boris Johnson says

    My condolences to the victims of last night's despicable attack in #FinsburyPark. We will never allow hate to divide us

    The foreign secretary Boris Johnson has said hate will never divide the UK, after an individual drove through crowds outside a London mosque. Johnson, former London mayor, labelled the attack "despicable".

    –Rose Troup Buchanan

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    "Terrorists will not succeed in their attempts to divide us and make us live in fear," police commissioner says

    Commissioner Cressida Dick of the Metropolitan police has condemned the Finsbury mosque attack and said terrorists would not succeed in dividing our communities.

    Dick said: "London is a city of many faiths and many nationalities. An attack on one community is an attack on all of us.

    "Terrorists will not succeed in their attempts to divide us and make us live in fear."

    She continued in a statement that extra officers would patrol across the city, and at Muslim places of worship. They would be there "to help reassure the local community. They will be there for as long as they are needed."

    –Rose Troup Buchanan

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    Man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after van drives through crowds outside London mosque

    Neil Basu, senior national coordinator for counterterrorism for the Metropolitan police, has confirmed that a man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a vehicle was driven into a crowd of people outside a London mosque.

    "The man suspected of being the driver during this attack, he has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder," Basu said, and confirmed that the incident was being treated as a terrorist attack.

    Officers were already on the scene when the attack unfolded, Basu said, but additional forces were at the site within 10 minutes. A man was receiving first-aid from the public at the scene at the time. "Any causative link between his death and the attack will form part of our investigation. It is too early to state that his death was a result of this attack," he said.

    "At this early stage of the investigation no further suspects have been identified or reported to the police," he said, "there are no reports of any people suffering any knife injuries."

    Basu said the van driven by man and left at the scene had been searched, and nothing "that would cause a risk to the public" was found inside the vehicle.

    "I would urge everyone to remain calm and remain vigilant," he said. Basu said additional police forces would be deployed across London to reassure communities.

    "This has been an incredibly challenging time for London, and the emergency services are stretched. Nevertheless we will all do everything we can, with our partners, to protect London and our city. Now is a time for London to once again stand together," he said.

    –Rose Troup Buchanan

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    Muslim Welfare House says "thoughts and prayers" are with those caught up in incident, and appeals for calm

    "The Muslim Community in this area is horrified at this incident and is concerned and shocked at the events," Muslim Welfare House Toufik Kacimi CEO said in a statement.

    "We have worked very hard over decades to build a peaceful and tolerant community here in Finsbury Park and we totally condemn any act of hate that tried to drive our wonderful community apart.

    "We would appeal for calm at this time. It is unhelpful for there to be speculate about the incident. All of our efforts should be towards getting justice for the victims and ensuring our community stags the divers, tolerant and welcome palace we know it to be."

    Kacimi urged calm, and called on the media to report responsibly. He said the police had to be given time to do their job.

    He also praised the efforts of the mosque's imam, Mohammed Mahmoud, whose "bravery and courage helped calm the immediate situation" and prevented further injures and loss of life.

    The Muslim Council of Britain issued a statement in the early hours of the morning.

    Statement from the Muslim Council of Britain on #FinsburyPark Attack:

    –Rose Troup Buchanan

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    Shadow cabinet minister: "This terrorist attack is absolutely vile"

    "This terrorist attack is absolutely vile" - Shadow cabinet minister @BarryGardiner on #FinsburyPark attack… https://t.co/PlsFSDAqyH

    Shadow international trade secretary Barry Gardiner has condemned the attack, and called for unity "against all forms of hatred and terrorism".

    "I think that this terrorist attack is absolutely vile. It will be welcomed by those who are the extremists who have been perpetrating the other terrorist attacks. This would appear to have been a revenge attack from what eye-witnesses are saying.

    "That is precisely the objective of terrorists, they want to divide us. They want to sow hatred between different elements of our community. It is so important that we don't let them do that. We must stand united against all forms of hatred and terrorism," he told BBC Breakfast.

    –Rose Troup Buchanan

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    Home secretary Amber Rudd calls for unity

    The home secretary has called for unity after one person died after a man drove a vehicle into a crowd outside a London mosque late last night.

    In a statement Amber Rudd said she was in contact with the Metropolitan police, who confirmed the incident was being investigated by their counter terrorism command.

    "My thoughts are with all those affected by the appalling incident at Finsbury Park," she said.

    "Yesterday, like so many others around the country, I took part in the Great Get Together to celebrate the values of Jo Cox. It was powerful and moving to see the community come together in a show of solidarity. We must all continue to stand together, resolute, against all those who try to divide us and spread hate and fear."

    –Rose Troup Buchanan

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    LONDON — One person died when a man drove a van at a group of worshippers who had left a north London mosque shortly after midnight on Monday and screamed that he wanted to "kill all Muslims", a witness told BuzzFeed News.

    The white van struck a group of men congregating a few hundred feet from the Finsbury Park Mosque on Seven Sisters Road after evening prayers, witnesses said.

    Prime minister Theresa May called it a "potential terrorist attack." The Counter Terrorism Command is investigating.

    One person has been arrested, the Metropolitan police confirmed in a statement, describing it as a "major incident".

    "Officers are on scene with other emergency services," police said. "There are a number of casualties being worked on at the scene."

    "We have treated eight patients at the scene and taken them to three London hospitals," said London Ambulance Service deputy director of operations Kevin Bate. Two people were treated at the scene for minor injuries.

    Abdulrahman Saleh Alamoudi told BuzzFeed News the van swerved towards the men, who had been attending to an elderly man who had fallen down, perhaps due to exhaustion, at a bus stop near the Muslim Welfare House.

    "This big van just came and went all over us," Saleh Alamoudi said. "I think at least eight or 10 people were injured. Luckily I managed to escape, and then the guy came out of his van."

    The driver tried to run, Saleh Alamoudi said, but he and his two friends tackled the man, holding him down for some 20 minutes until police arrived. Police later said the driver "was found detained by members of public at the scene and then arrested by police in connection with the incident".

    "He was screaming before that – 'I'm going to kill all Muslims'," Saleh Alamoudi said. "He was throwing punches all over."

    Eyewitness tells @jamesrbuk man drove van at pedestrians outside London mosque, then shouted “Kill me, kill me, I w… https://t.co/EizXK8vUkJ

    Metropolitan police said they were called to the scene 20 minutes after midnight on Monday.

    "At this early stage of this investigation, no other suspects at the scene have been identified or reported to police, however the investigation continues," the police said, adding: "He has been taken to hospital as a precaution, and will be taken into custody once discharged. He will also be subject of a mental health assessment in due course."

    Police also said no one suffered any knife injuries, as some media outlets have reported.

    "Extra policing resources have been deployed in order to reassure communities, especially those observing Ramadan," police said.

    Harun Khan, secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, said, "during the night, ordinary British citizens were set upon while they were going about their lives, completing their night worship."

    "Muslim communities have been calling for increased action to tackle the growth in hate crime for many years and transformative action must now be taken to tackle not only this incident but the hugely worrying growth in Islamophobia," Khan added.

    "Many will feel terrorised, no doubt be angry and saddened by what has taken place tonight. We urge calm as the investigation establishes the full facts, and in these last days of Ramadan, pray for those affected and for justice."

    Another man who claimed to be at the scene uploaded video to Twitter showing men screaming at a man who was being held by police.

    The London Ambulance Service said paramedics were also at the scene.

    "We have sent a number of ambulance crews, advance paramedics, and specialist responses teams to the scene," the service's Kevin Bate said in a statement. "An advance trauma team from London's Air Ambulance has also been dispatched by car."

    Saleh Alamoudi and his friend Ahmed Sharif said it took an hour for medical help to arrive. They said they were upset that only one ambulance came, with "eight people on the floor".

    Saleh Alamoudi uploaded video to his Facebook page showing emergency workers performing CPR on one person.

    "It was heartbreaking, honestly," he said.

    The London Fire Service said it had sent "a number of resources" to the scene.

    The incident occurred outside Muslim Welfare House, a community center at a major intersection near Finsbury Park Mosque, where prayers were scheduled to be held shortly before 11pm, according to the mosque's website. The mosque had broadcast the prayer service live on YouTube.

    "Our thoughts and prayers with those who got injured and effected [sic] by this cowardly attack in Finsbury Park area, many casualties in the floor," the mosque's chairman Mohammed Kozbar tweeted.

    Theresa May, in a statement, described the situation as a "terrible incident."

    "All my thoughts are with those who have been injured, their loved ones and the emergency services on the scene," the prime minister said.

    In a statement on Facebook, London mayor Saddiq Khan called the incident a "horrific terrorist attack on innocent people".

    "My thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected. I am grateful to our emergency services, who responded quickly and have been working on the scene throughout the night," Khan wrote. "We don't yet know the full details, but this was clearly a deliberate attack on innocent Londoners, many of whom were finishing prayers during the holy month of Ramadan."

    "While this appears to be an attack on a particular community, like the terrible attacks in Manchester, Westminster and London Bridge it is also an assault on all our shared values of tolerance, freedom and respect," Khan added, urging London's residents to "remain calm and vigilant."

    Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, the MP for Islington North, who lives near Finsbury Park, tweeted that he was "totally shocked" by what had occurred, adding that he'd been in touch with local mosques.

    I'm totally shocked at the incident at Finsbury Park tonight.

    Emergency services are on the scene and investigating a major incident at Finsbury Park. Follow @Metpoliceuk and @Ldn_ambulance for details.

    Authorities have yet to specify what occurred. Several people at the scene early Monday morning said they were shocked that the authorities and some media outlets hadn't called the incident a terror attack yet.

    The Muslim Council said it is "widely being described as a terror attack".

    "So if the victim is Muslim, but the perpetrator is not Muslim, that means it can't be terrorists in the eyes of the mainstream media?" asked Ahmed Kaballo, who says he works as a journalist and arrived early at the scene.

    The incident comes after terror attacks in Manchester and London in recent weeks, the latter of which involved, in part, a van striking pedestrians on London Bridge.

    –James Ball reported from Finsbury Park in London. David Mack in New York, Michelle Broder Van Dyke in Honolulu, and Rich James in Sydney contributed to this report.