Kathianne
07-02-2007, 06:38 PM
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/07/02/nterror1502.xml
The airport worker who tackled one of the suspected bombers in Glasgow was last night championed as a hero on the Internet.
Man held after Glasgow attack: Foreign doctors at centre of terror inquiry
One of the men involved in the Glasgow attack
A website was set up dedicated to baggage handler John Smeaton, who helped to wrestle to the ground one of the suspects who had rammed into the terminal on Saturday in a flaming Jeep.
The site - http://www.johnsmeaton.com - called him a “hero for our time” and had logged over 150,000 page views within 24 hours.
A comic tribute called on admirers to pledge 1,000 pints of beer for him.
Last night it claimed 145 people had each sent £3 to him.
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After the incident Mr Smeaton, of said he had to act when he saw one of the two men apparently fighting with a police officer.
He added: “I thought, 'You’re not hitting the police mate, there’s no chance’. Other members of the public did the exact same thing as me.
“We all ran towards him, we all tried to get a kick in and get a boot in at him, and just try to subdue the guy. All that was going through my mind was I’ve got to help the policeman, I’m not letting these guys get away with this.
“It’s your work, it’s your duty to make sure stuff like this doesn’t happen. It’s your civic duty.”
The website said: “Here’s to John. This man shows us that the law-abiding, honest, brave citizen is still very much with us.
“Here’s to his heroism, his straightforward belief in right and wrong, his support for law and order.”
Meanwhile on networking website Facebook, the “John Smeaton Appreciation Society” was set up.
It included the tagline: “When terrorists attacked Glasgow Airport their nefarious plans were foiled by one man - BAA’s own Jack Bauer. John Smeaton. Sir you are a legend.” A message of support, from one of 90 members of the group, said: “John we salute you! The terrorists forgot they were dealing with Weegies”.D
avid Lawrence wrote: “John Smeaton is a hero, but I’d like to think that the UK is full of Smeatons.”
Other Facebook groups to start yesterday included “Stand Up to Islamist terror”. A US based network launched called: “Stop bombing U.K. and leave the West alone”.
A blog on the New York Times website asked what the mood was in Britain. It was inundated with replies.
John Clark wrote: “As one who was born in Paisley, and who grew up in Glasgow, I am not scared, nor will I let idiots run my life for me. I am angry more than anything. Other than Lockerbie, Scotland has been terror free ever since the Blitz.
“These idiots want to disrupt our lives. Although the bombs were incompetently built, the knock on effects cause disruption, so the idiots win.
“I also think that they wish to disrupt race relations in Scotland, which has a large Muslim population. Sorry, guys, it isn’t going to happen.
“I have friends who attend the Glasgow Central Mosque and the Forth Street Mosque in the South of Glasgow, and they are repulsed at these actions as all Scots are.
“Muslim, Protestant, Roman Catholic, Jew, Hindu, Sikh … Black, Brown, Yellow, or White … We are ALL Scots, and we won’t stand for foreign idiots trying to disrupt our lives and play us off against each other.”
The airport worker who tackled one of the suspected bombers in Glasgow was last night championed as a hero on the Internet.
Man held after Glasgow attack: Foreign doctors at centre of terror inquiry
One of the men involved in the Glasgow attack
A website was set up dedicated to baggage handler John Smeaton, who helped to wrestle to the ground one of the suspects who had rammed into the terminal on Saturday in a flaming Jeep.
The site - http://www.johnsmeaton.com - called him a “hero for our time” and had logged over 150,000 page views within 24 hours.
A comic tribute called on admirers to pledge 1,000 pints of beer for him.
Last night it claimed 145 people had each sent £3 to him.
advertisement
After the incident Mr Smeaton, of said he had to act when he saw one of the two men apparently fighting with a police officer.
He added: “I thought, 'You’re not hitting the police mate, there’s no chance’. Other members of the public did the exact same thing as me.
“We all ran towards him, we all tried to get a kick in and get a boot in at him, and just try to subdue the guy. All that was going through my mind was I’ve got to help the policeman, I’m not letting these guys get away with this.
“It’s your work, it’s your duty to make sure stuff like this doesn’t happen. It’s your civic duty.”
The website said: “Here’s to John. This man shows us that the law-abiding, honest, brave citizen is still very much with us.
“Here’s to his heroism, his straightforward belief in right and wrong, his support for law and order.”
Meanwhile on networking website Facebook, the “John Smeaton Appreciation Society” was set up.
It included the tagline: “When terrorists attacked Glasgow Airport their nefarious plans were foiled by one man - BAA’s own Jack Bauer. John Smeaton. Sir you are a legend.” A message of support, from one of 90 members of the group, said: “John we salute you! The terrorists forgot they were dealing with Weegies”.D
avid Lawrence wrote: “John Smeaton is a hero, but I’d like to think that the UK is full of Smeatons.”
Other Facebook groups to start yesterday included “Stand Up to Islamist terror”. A US based network launched called: “Stop bombing U.K. and leave the West alone”.
A blog on the New York Times website asked what the mood was in Britain. It was inundated with replies.
John Clark wrote: “As one who was born in Paisley, and who grew up in Glasgow, I am not scared, nor will I let idiots run my life for me. I am angry more than anything. Other than Lockerbie, Scotland has been terror free ever since the Blitz.
“These idiots want to disrupt our lives. Although the bombs were incompetently built, the knock on effects cause disruption, so the idiots win.
“I also think that they wish to disrupt race relations in Scotland, which has a large Muslim population. Sorry, guys, it isn’t going to happen.
“I have friends who attend the Glasgow Central Mosque and the Forth Street Mosque in the South of Glasgow, and they are repulsed at these actions as all Scots are.
“Muslim, Protestant, Roman Catholic, Jew, Hindu, Sikh … Black, Brown, Yellow, or White … We are ALL Scots, and we won’t stand for foreign idiots trying to disrupt our lives and play us off against each other.”