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Authors have been reacting to the Westminster terror attack which took place in London yesterday afternoon (22nd March).
Four people died, including Metropolitan Police officer Keith Palmer, two members of the public including 43-year-old Aysha Frade, and the as-yet unnamed assailant, while at least 40 were injured after a car drove into people on Westminster Bridge before reaching the Houses of Parliament, reported the BBC.
J K Rowling praised the "bravery and simple humanity" that had shown "Westminster at its best", as part of a series of tweets. In one she wrote: "A policeman died to protect parliamentary democracy. An MP fought to save his life. We grieve, we fight on. This is the country we live in."
The Big Green Bookshop concurred with author Joanne Harris when she tweeted: "Dear London: hug your loved ones; smile at strangers; drink wine; don't let hate win. Fuck hate. It doesn't belong here." It seconded "Dear World, this should probably be our mantra."
Author Rowan Coleman also tweeted in solidarity, "My dear beautiful London, it takes more than this to frighten you. Love and stength to the victims and heroes who went to help".
Waterstones crime buyer and author, Joseph Knox, praised the "incredible reaction" of the emergency services that those in the area saw were "everywhere" in the aftermath, and urged people to stay safe.
Meanwhile writer Alex Marwood also gave thanks to them, tweeting: "Quick pause to take hat off and doff it to the splendid people who make up emergency services across the world."
Author Matt Haig, who too hailed the "amazing courage and professionalism" of police and medics, said in a tweet that to return to normality could be the "best response to terrorism". "Still think the best response to terrorism is to refuse to be terrified. Like beating panic. Have to force yourself into normality," he tweeted.
The assailant has not yet been named by police but eight people have been arrested as part of investigations into the attack.