In response to a note I sent this morning, Catherine Redfern, editor of the F-Word, an online magazine covering contemporary UK feminism, wrote to Ms. about her experience following the bombings Thursday morning in London:

I’m fine, but was fairly freaked out this morning when I finally got to work and found the area totally gridlocked, with police shouting at drivers, buses parked up everywhere and helicopters whirring overhead. Many of us spent the morning contacting friends and family. It was a very sad day.

Discussions on the London Third Wave Feminist Yahoo Group have expressed a mixture of feelings: shock, sadness, anger, and sympathy for the victims and their families. Although there is a feeling of “Well, it finally happened,” because it wasn’t entirely unexpected, it’s obviously still shocking and upsetting.

We are also all very aware of the possibility of a racist backlash against Muslim Londoners and we’re all eager that this is avoided. London is a fantastic place to live, and as Ken Livingstone (Mayor of London) said today, one of the great things about it is its diversity.

Walking back through London this afternoon to make my way home, it was a bit weird because apart from the helicopters, it felt a little like a ghost-town due to the lack of traffic. But people were not cowering in fear. They were sad, but were just getting on with it. I’m absolutely convinced that London will just get on with it. After all, we’ve got the Olympics to plan for now.