As Londoners heard of a nearby terrorist attack and ran for their lives, one man clung tightly to his beer. That TwitPic has since gone viral as a symbol of their resilience.
London Bridge
Less than two weeks after the tragic Manchester bombing that killed 22 people at an Ariana Grande concert, the British were terrorized yet again. This time in the form of stabbing and running over people.
In the midst of all the chaos on June 3, one man was seen running down the street while holding his pint of beer.
People fleeing #LondonBridge but the bloke on the right isn't spilling a drop. God Bless the Brits! pic.twitter.com/ceeaH0XxeX
— Howard Mannella (@hmannella) June 3, 2017
The attack started on London Bridge, where three men are suspected of running people over. After the carnage they made their way to Borough Market, where they proceeded to stab innocent people. The entire incident killed seven and wounded dozens of others.
While some people feel this image makes light of the catastrophe, especially so soon after the Manchester incident, others were quick to say that it actually brought them comfort.
Keep Calm
Back in 1939, the British government created a poster in preparation of World War II. It told its citizens to stay calm and keep marching forward, even though everyone was terrified of what would happen.
“Keep Calm and Carry On” was created by the British after Germany invaded Poland in 1939 to boost morale during #WWII. #WarPosterWednesday pic.twitter.com/QDFULmiPGB
— Nat'l D-Day Memorial (@DDayMemorial) March 22, 2017
As people on Twitter pointed out, this beer-clutching man is a modern day version of that poster. Londoners are not to be messed with.
https://twitter.com/taxbod/status/871255328809267201
No goddamned terrorist is going to make homey on the right put down his beer. ????????#LondonBridge pic.twitter.com/CrsWmqQVOJ
— Tweed Suit, Esq. ? (@TweedEsquire) June 4, 2017
#LondonAttacks #photo representing the spirit of #London! Man flees for his life during the #LondonBridge event keeping hold of pint of beer pic.twitter.com/eVVQ0bUn3N
— Andy: #NFFC/#FBPE (@djargent2003) June 5, 2017
The original poster even quipped that he wasn’t spilling a drop of his pint as he ran to safety. It’s received over 100,000 likes and has been retweeted nearly 40,000 times.
So no, it’s important that we never make light of this tragedy. But it’s also important that Londoners show the world their resilience. Keep calm and cling tightly to your beer.
Watch this video to learn more about the Keep Calm and Carry On poster.
Feature Image Source: Screenshot Via Twitter.
