Members of the public gather at a candlelit vigil, to honour the victims of Monday evening’s terror attack, at Albert Square on May 23, 2017 in Manchester, England. Monday’s explosion occurred at Manchester Arena as concert goers were leaving the venue after Ariana Grande had just finished performing. Greater Manchester Police are treating the explosion as a terrorist attack and have confirmed 22 fatalities and 59 injured.
CREDIT: Getty Images
Aaron Rose, a duty manager at a swanky bar in northern Manchester, U.K., was counting his tips Monday night when ambulances suddenly came rushing past. Rose was nonplussed–until he discovered on social media that a bomb had been detonated at an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena, a “stone’s throw” away from his bar.
“It was absolutely crazy,” Rose tells Inc. “There were sirens and cars and ambulances, people streaming down the streets, and choppers flying.” He and a co-worker rolled down the windows at the bar, called the Blue Pig, but left the doors open for anyone who wanted to sit down and have a drink on the house. “After that, we properly left and went to see if we could help anyone,” Rose says.
At around 10:30 p.m. GMT, at the end of a performance by the American singer Arianna Grande, an explosion at the local concert hall left at least 22 people dead and 59 wounded. The U.K. authorities have since identified the assailant–who died in the attack–as Salman Abedi, a 22-year-old British man whose parents had emigrated from Libya. ISIS has claimed responsibility for the massacre, Britain’s most deadly since 2005.
Manchester, known largely for its eponymous soccer team and as the birthplace of the industrial revolution, is in a state of shock. Nevertheless, local businesses are stepping up by diverting funds to the victims and their families, offering free or discounted products, and some halting operations altogether. The Blue Pig, for instance, is giving away coffee, tea and cookies on its front porch, and offering 20 percent off meals throughout the day. “It’s surreal,” Rose says. “We’ve all been very quiet. You can see that people are carrying this with them.”
Many businesses were either closed on Tuesday or shuttered early to join thousands in attending a vigil at the city center. Bohoo, a multi-national retailer based in Manchester, has formally committed to donating £100,00 to the victims and their families. Many local shops have taken to social media to express their support. “Our thoughts and prayers to our friends the cafes and their customers and everyone affected,” writes North Tea Power, a local coffee shop. “All of us here send our love to anyone and everyone affected by the harrowing attack last night,” tweeted TAKK, an Icelandic-style café.
Safety comes first
First and foremost, entrepreneurs are focused on the safety and security of their staff. Shazda Ahmed, the founder and director of Monarch Solicitors, a Manchester legal services provider located 10 minutes away from the concert hall, had each of her five employees walk to the train in groups. “I’ve made sure they get back safely by arranging for them to leave together and get on the right trains,” Ahmed says. Luckily, she says, no one on her team has been directly affected by the attack.
In a city left trembling, it’s not surprising that exceptions are also being made. On Tuesday, Ahmed was supposed to interview a 17-year old for a summer internship. Instead, the entrepreneur sent the young woman an email to re-schedule the meeting. “It’s not appropriate to ask a 17-year old to come into town today,” she tells Inc. “That was the first thing on my mind. I didn’t want her to think that her chances of getting the job would be diminished if she didn’t show up.”
A darkening climate
ShinDigger Brewing Co. founders Paul Delamere (left) and George Grant.
CREDIT: Courtesy Company
As harrowing as the experience has been, some entrepreneurs say they aren’t surprised that such an attack could happen. Paul Delamere, the 27-year-old co-founder of ShinDigger, a Manchester craft brewery, says the spate of terrorism in recent months has kept him on edge.
The bombing marks Europe’s 12th terrorist attack since 2015, as the Islamic State has grown in prominence and continues to encourage supporters to strike anywhere. Collectively, these attacks have claimed some 300 lives over the past two years.
“When it did happen [in Manchester,] I was like, ‘Oh my God,’ but at the same time it didn’t surprise me that much,” says Delamere, whose Manchester business does around £660,000 in revenue. “It’s shocking, but at the same time, it’s happening so often. You see it on the news.”
Even so, Delamare and his co-founders wanted to make sure the brewery operated on Tuesday just like any other day. “We definitely made a point of going about the day as usual,” Delamere says. “You can’t let the fear mongering stop you. If you close down, it causes more disruption, and that’s what they [terrorists] want.”
A politically tense landscape
The tragedy comes during an uncertain moment in time, as the U.K. prepares to hold elections next month and begin negotiations to exit the European Union. While it’s unclear what affect–if any–the attack will have on the elections, some suggest that it could help prime minister Theresa May, who is generally perceived to be tough on immigration and security.
There’s also some concern that the attack will lead to a backlash against minority communities. When asked about the bomber’s connection to ISIS, Ahmed–the Monarch Solicitors founder–paused for a moment.
“You know my last name, and you’ve probably gathered I’m not English,” Ahmed says, explaining she was born in the U.K., but Pakistani by descent. A mother of three, “I’m worried about a reprisal attack on my children.” She sent her husband to pick her kids up from school on Tuesday, rather than letting them go home on the tram. “I’ve heard that people are going around attacking Muslim children,” she says. “For me, that’s just as bad as the person who set off the bomb.”