UK parliament holds minute of silence in tribute to slain MP
British lawmakers fall silent in somber tribute to a colleague who was stabbed to death while meeting constituents, as police probe whether a suspect arrested was motivated by Islamist extremism.
Members of parliament, many dressed in black, pack the House of Commons and stand heads bowed for a minute’s silence in memory of Conservative MP David Amess, who was killed in a church hall on Friday.
“May the bright memory of his rich life ever outshine the tragic manner of his death,” chaplain Tricia Hillas tells the chamber in a prayer.
The attack was the second killing of a UK politician while meeting constituents in five years and prompted calls for an end to sharply divisive partisan rhetoric that has intensified since Britain’s 2016 Brexit referendum.