New Zealand will hold two-minutes of silence tomorrow to mark a week since the horrific terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch and pay respect to the victims.
New Zealand’s Prime Minster Jacinda Ardern said the silence would include the Muslim call to prayer, which would be broadcast across TVNZ and Radio NZ.
The attacks which took place last Friday afternoon saw 50 people lose their lives and 50 others injured.
Image: Himath Siriniwasa
Jacinda Ardern said the national silence was important as many Kiwis were wanting to express their grief a week on from the horrific attack.
“To acknowledge this there will be two minutes of silence on Friday. We will also broadcast nationally via TVNZ and RNZ,” she said.
Image: AP
According to the New Zealand Herald two minutes of silence was chosen over the usual one minute because of the magnitude of the tragedy (a two-minute silence also took place to commemorate the Pike River explosions in 2010).
Jacinda Ardern visited Cashmere High School this week which lost two current students and one former student in last week’s shooting.
“It is OK to grieve,” she told the students. “It is OK to help even if you weren’t directly affected.”
- READ: IN MOURNING: Air New Zealand engineer among the 50 Christchurch victims
- READ: STANDING TOGETHER: Sending love (and travellers) to the people of Christchurch
- READ: CHRISTCHURCH SHOOTING: Multiple fatalities & flight cancellations