Ariana Grande Shows Trump the Right Way to Respond to Terror

There was a wide range of responses to a deadly terror attack in London Saturday night that left seven dead and dozens wounded. London mayor Sadiq Khan called on the people of Britain to be “calm and vigilant,” and said the country’s upcoming general election should continue as planned. President Donald Trump responded by inciting fear, lashing out at his critics (including Khan), calling for looser gun laws, an end to “political correctness,” and a ban on immigration from Muslim countries.

Ariana Grande, the 23-year-old pop singer whose concert at Manchester Arena was attacked by a suicide bomber last month, said her event to benefit the families of the Manchester victims and survivors would go on Sunday afternoon as scheduled.

“After the events last night in London, and those in Manchester just two weeks ago, we feel a sense of responsibility to honor those lost, injured and affected,” Grande’s manager, Scooter Braun, said in a statement Sunday morning. “We plan to honor them with courage, bravery, and defiance in the face of fear. Today’s One Love Manchester benefit concert will not only continue, but will do so with greater purpose.”

“We must not be afraid, and in tribute to all those affected here and around the world, we will bring our voices together and sing loudly,” he continued. “I am pleased to say we have the full support of Greater Manchester police and the government and are assured the safety of all those attending is the highest priority.”

Greater Manchester Police Assistant Chief Constable Garry Shewan also released a statement on Sunday: “There are two large-scale events taking place in Greater Manchester today and we would like to assure people that these will still take place, but with additional security in place to ensure the safety of everyone.”

He explained that there will be more armed officers at the concert, additional security checks, and bag searches, and suggested that attendees not bring a bag if they can. “I’d like to remind people that the threat level remains at severe,” he wrote, “which means an attack is highly likely.”

Twenty three adults and children were killed, and more than 100 wounded last month, when Salman Ramadan Abedi detonated an explosive device at the exit of the Manchester Arena, just as thousands of fans were leaving Grande’s concert. In the aftermath, the singer posted a long note urging her fans to be strong in the face of fear, and thanking them for responding with “compassion, kindness, love, strength and oneness.”

“The only thing we can do now is choose how we let this affect us and how we live our lives from here on out,” she wrote. “We won’t let hate divide us. We won’t let hate win.”

Two weeks later, Grande is upholding her commitment to her fans, and honoring Britain’s resilience in the face of terror. She will be joined onstage by many other musicians including Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, and Coldplay. The benefit concert will air live in the U.S. on Freeform and on Twitter.