Council holds ceremony in memory of Tunisia beach terror victims

Cheshire East Council has held a minute’s silence and lowered its flag in remembrance of the victims of the terror attack in Tunisia.

A total of 30 holidaying Britons are confirmed to have died in the gun and grenade attack on a beach near Sousse, which left 38 people dead.

Following a personal initiative by Council Leader Michael Jones, Cheshire East held a flag-lowering ceremony outside its HQ in Sandbach, followed by a minute’s silence.

The ceremony was led by Council Deputy Leader Councillor David Brown and attended by around 200 council staff and Members. The minute’s silence was marked at Council offices across Cheshire East.

Council Chief Executive Mike Suarez led a minute’s silence at the Assembly Room at Macclesfield Town Hall.

Cllr Brown said: “Everyone will have been horrified by the recent atrocity in Tunisia, which saw such an awful loss of life.

“Today’s ceremony was a simple and solemn occasion when the people of Cheshire East, and indeed people across the nation, joined together symbolically as a community to bear witness and remember.”

Mike Suarez said: “The events on what had previously been a tranquil beach in Tunisia were truly shocking and horrific.

“We felt it was important, as a Council, to hold this act of remembrance out of respect for the victims and in support of their grieving families and friends.”

Prime Minister David Cameron announced earlier this week that a national minute’s silence would be held today for the victims of the Tunisia terror attack.

Gunman Seifeddine Rezgui, a 23-year-old student, who had links to the Islamic State jihadist group, was shot dead by police after the killings on the beach at the Port El Kantaoui resort last Friday.

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