In the immediate aftermath of the Manchester Arena attack which claimed the lives of 22 people, the city came together in a way never seen before.
Alongside the heroic members of the emergency services that worked through the night to keep everybody safe, locals offered shelter, taxi drivers helped people get home free of charge, and Manchester banded together around a message of love and not hate.
The extraordinary tenacity of Manchester was on show for everybody to see and the One Love Manchester concert epitomised our resolve and exemplified our ability to come together in the face of tragedy. The spirit of this amazing city could not be broken, and we refused to let the horrific attack divide us.
Just two weeks after the attack, we danced, laughed, smiled and cried, but most importantly we carried on and came back stronger than ever.
Manchester's unifying spirit is one we should be proud of, and one which will never be broken. Our resilience continues to this very day, in which we remember the 22 killed on the second anniversary of the attack.
This City Remembers. pic.twitter.com/JO1Guk8tEz
— Manchester City (@ManCity) May 22, 2019
#ManchesterTogether: then, now and forever. pic.twitter.com/p0qjKGyb68
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) May 22, 2019
That spirit we showcased in the immediate aftermath has carried on for two years. Rather than sowing disunity and spreading hate, the terrorist outrage brought us closer together than ever before and continues to do so to this day.
Today we have seen tributes paid to the victims of the attack from all corners of this amazing city, with Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham leading the way this morning.
The mayor tweeted:
Today is a day to remember, to reflect & to recommit to all those whose lives changed on 22/5/17. We will always be there for you.
Manchester City Council also paid tribute to the victims with knitted bees appearing around the city centre today.
Look out for the knitted bees ? adorning the city today. Spreading the love in solidarity with all those affected by the terrible events on this day two years ago #RememberingTogether pic.twitter.com/QsVRl4PXzG
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) May 22, 2019
The resolve of the people of Manchester has not faltered. Manchester stands tall as an open, tolerant and diverse community in which everybody is welcome and always will be.
Remembering the 22 innocent lives lost in the Manchester Arena attack on 22 May 2017.
— G M Police (@gmpolice) May 22, 2019
Our thoughts will always be with their families and all those injured or affected.#WeStandTogether pic.twitter.com/sWi4OjsfWv
Bells will ring out around the city centre tonight, and as we come together to remember, Manchester stands resolutely against hate, against division, and against anybody who seeks to disunite us.