A sombre cavalcade of more than 50 black cabs made their way from Liverpool to Manchester last week to deliver a moving tribute to the victims of the Manchester bomb attack. They made their way along the M62 for 30 miles, from Broadgreen to St Ann’s Square in Manchester, where a memorial space had been set up to honour the victims of the attack.
The convoy was arranged by the National Taxi Drivers Alliance (NTDA) who took 22 boxes of candles, one box for each of the victims, to be lit as part of the memorial. The taxis also took fellow Liverpudlians to the memorial so they could pay their respects, joining the two cities together.
“Our two cities might have a bit of rivalry but we have much more in common and we stand together at times like this.”
A Demonstration of Love and Support
The procession, which was videoed and posted online, was designed as a demonstration of love and support from what is normally seen as a ‘rival’ city, showing the people of Manchester that the entire country stands with them in their darkest hour. NTDA chairman and procession organiser, Kevin Lawrence, said: “We wanted to carry the light to the people of Manchester and the turnout was amazing.
“There were more than fifty taxis from Liverpool and they definitely lit the way, taking family, friends and strangers with them to pay their respects. When they got there, they handed out hundreds of candles to people so that everyone had one in their hand.
“Our two cities might have a bit of rivalry but we have much more in common and we stand together at times like this.”
Two Cities Brought Closer Together
Another cabbie from Liverpool who took part in the event said that they just wanted to show how much they cared. On the night of the attack, taxi drivers from both Manchester and Liverpool gave concert-goers free rides home so they could get to safety, even while the situation was still regarded as highly volatile and dangerous by the emergency services and police.
The act of taking the candles to Manchester was a symbolic move and the two cities are a little closer together because of this touching gesture. The memorial in St Ann’s Square remains a focal point for the city of Manchester to share their grief and to come to terms with the tragedy. The Liverpool cabbies’ candles now form an important part of that memorial.