The commemoration in the city’s central Trafalgar Square is set to include Nobel Peace Prize victor Malala Yousafzai with similar events to take place later in cities around the world, among them Beirut, Nairobi, New York and Paris.
Advertisement
Brendan Cox was telling crowds how the killed Labour MP “lived for her beliefs” and would have been spending the day campaigning for Britain to remain in the European Union.
Mair appeared at court on Saturday charged with the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox.
She added: “It’s been over twice now – that isn’t coincidence @voteleave, that’s just sickening disrespect!” It was unclear whether the plane intentionally buzzed the memorial and whether it was linked to the official “leave” campaign.
“We are clearly very disappointed that the timing of the service and our flight have overlapped but there was no NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) requesting the avoidance and the coincidence of timing could not have been known by the crew flying the sortie”.
“Does that really say Vote Leave?”
It came moments after Mr Cox spoke of his wife’s pro-EU stance.
“Your support and love has helped us all and I wanted our children to see what their mum meant to all of you”.
One of the strongest – and now silenced – voices in the run-up to Britain’s Brexit referendum is being remembered on what would have been her 42nd birthday. “For the rest of our lives, we will fight for them in her name”, Brendan Cox said.
Nobel Peace Prize victor Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in the head by Taliban extremists in her native Pakistan in 2012 for advocating education for girls, also spoke to the crowds in Trafalgar Square.
Bill Nighy was due to give a reading, while U2 had recorded a musical tribute in Los Angeles.
The couple’s favourite band, Diddley Dee, who performed at Cox’s wedding, played at the event.
Mourners lit 42 candles to mark the day that would’ve been her 42nd birthday. Further events to celebrate the MPs life were held around the United Kingdom and around the world in Beirut, Brussels, Melbourne, Nairobi, New York and Washington DC.
At Portobello Beach in Edinburgh, friends of Mrs Cox gathered to celebrate her life.
The 41-year-old mother of two was declared dead at 1.48pm after being shot three times and stabbed repeatedly.
Advertisement
Thomas Mair was told by an Old Bailey court judge in London that a provisional trial date has been fixed for November 14.
