Today, Soho’s iconic LGBTQ+ venue the Admiral Duncan is to hold an Act of Remembrance to remember those who lost their lives and were affected by a bombing which tore through the heart of London’s LGBTQ+ community on 30 April 1999.
It was a warm April evening and revellers had gathered at the Soho hotspot. Unbeknownst to them, self-confessed neo-Nazi David Copeland had visited the pub and placed a bomb laced with 1,500 nails at the foot of the bar. At 6.37pm, the bomb exploded, tearing through the popular Soho bar, killing four and injuring 79 people.
The Admiral Duncan bombing thus became the largest terror attack on an LGBTQ+ venue in the UK. Those who died would be later named as John Light, 32, Nick Moore, 31, and Andrea Dykes, 27, who was pregnant at the time.
Copeland also detonated bombs in Brixton and Brick Lane – targeting the British Black, Bangladeshi and LGBTQ+ communities.
The one-man campaign intended to stir up ethnic and homophobic tensions and the tragedy sent shockwaves through the nation.
As the nation reeled in shock, the London community rallied together, and a huge meeting was organised in Soho Square on the Sunday following the attack and was attended by people in their thousands.
With great pride, the Admiral Duncan rebuilt itself and to this day remains an integral part of Soho’s cultural fabric and an important venue for the LGBTQ+ community and beyond within London’s nightlife scene.
At the Admiral Duncan there is a memorial chandelier with an inscription and a plaque in the bar to pay respects to the people that lost their lives and were injured.
An Act of Remembrance takes place at 5pm today, beginning at the Admiral Duncan. At 6.10pm there is a procession along Old Compton Street.
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