Tens of thousands of people gathered in London's Trafalgar Square tonight to remember the victims of last Thursday's suicide bombings in the capital.
People observe a two minutes silence in memory of the victims of the London bombings
They assembled to hear an array of speakers including London Mayor Ken Livingstone, Lord Coe and religious leaders.
Mr Livingstone told the crowd that anybody who had lived through the last few days would always have entwined in their minds the sheer joy of last Wednesday's announcement that London will host the 2012 Olympics with the terrible events of the next day.
"In seven years' time, when the Games begin, sitting at the front of the stadium, and watching the 200 teams that will come from every nation, will be those who were maimed but survived, and the relatives of those who died.
"Those who came here to kill last Thursday had many goals, but one was that we should turn on each other, like animals trapped in a cage, and they failed, totally and utterly."
Earlier, politicians and citizens across Europe observed two minutes' silence at midday today as a mark of respect for the victims of the bombings.
The British capital led the tribute as traffic and businesses stopped, flight take-offs were delayed and hospital workers paused their work.
The attacks on three Tube trains and a double decker bus in central London at rush hour killed at least 52 commuters and wounded 700 others last week.
Here, the Government, unions and members of the Irish public observed the mark of respect for the dead and injured.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, Tánaiste Mary Harney, and Minister for Finance Brian Cowen, who are attending a meeting with the Social Partners in Dublin Castle, made arrangements for the two minutes' silence to be observed. The Government asked members of the public to join in this expression of sympathy and solidarity.
Yesterday it was confirmed that an Irishman (22) was one of the victims of the bomb attacks. Ciarán Cassidy, who was living with his Irish parents in Finsbury Park, died in the bomb attack on the Tube at Russell Square.
In Britain, buses pulled to the side of the road, black cabs stopped and people paused in their daily routine. Office workers left their desks and took to the streets to show solidarity in the face of terrorism.
The two-minute dedication was screened on BBC1, BBC2, News 24 and the Parliament Channel.
British Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair marked the two minutes' silence at Downing Street.
Airport operator BAA, which runs Heathrow and Gatwick, said that, where possible, there were no take-offs or landings during the silence and that the two minutes were observed in airport terminals.
Network Rail stopped trains departing from mainline London stations during the two minutes and observed the silence on station concourses.
Telecoms operator BT said workers at its call centres did not make any telephone calls during the two minutes' silence.
At the Extraordinary Meeting of the European Justice and Home Affairs Council yesterday, the council agreed that in honour of those killed and injured in the bombings, two minutes of silence would be held across the European Union at 12pm (London time).
Agencies