Vigils held for killed MP Jo Cox
Online Desk
17 Jun 2016 00:00 AM
Floral tributes and candles are placed by a picture of slain Labour MP Jo Cox at a vigil in Parliament square in London on June 16, 2016. Cox died today after a shock daylight street attack, throwing campaigning for the referendum on Britain's membership
Vigils have been held for Labour MP Jo Cox, who died after being shot and stabbed in the street on Thursday, reports the BBC.
Hundreds of people packed into a church in Birstall, West Yorkshire, on Thursday evening, while a vigil was also held outside Parliament.
Mrs Cox's husband said the mother-of-two had fought for "a better world".
Her attacker is reported to have shouted "put Britain first" at least twice. A 52-year-old man, named locally as Tommy Mair, has been arrested.
The attack happened not far from Birstall Library, where Mrs Cox, who was 41, had been holding a constituency surgery on Thursday. She had been the MP for Batley and Spen since last year.
At St Peter's Church in her home town in the evening, every pew was full as people, including fellow Labour MPs Yvette Cooper and Dan Jarvis, bowed their heads and consoled each other.
The Bishop of Huddersfield, the Rt Rev Dr Jonathan Gibbs, told the service: "She grew up in this community, she lived for this community, she served this community and, in the end, she gave her life for this community."
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was among several MPs to attend an impromptu vigil in Parliament Square in central London.
Mr Corbyn had earlier paid tribute to Mrs Cox, saying the country would be "in shock" and describing the MP as a "much-loved colleague".
Prime Minister David Cameron said: "The death of Jo Cox is a tragedy. She was a committed and caring MP." US presidential contender Hillary Clinton has also spoken of a "cruel and terrible assassination".
Mrs Cox is the first sitting MP to be killed since 1990, when Ian Gow was the last in a string of politicians to die at the hands of Northern Irish terror groups.
West Yorkshire Police have so far refused to discuss the possible motive behind the killing despite reports that Mr Mair had sympathy for far-right groups.
Political party Britain First, which boasts of its hatred of white left-wing politicians, issued a video statement on Thursday condemning the attack and said that it had no connection with the incident.
