Hundreds join teenager's family in two minutes silence
Hundreds of people gathered in Hastings this morning to pay their respects to Mohammed al-Majed - including members of the teenager's family who had jetted in from Qatar.
Since the news of Mohammed's tragic death broke last Hastings has been a town in shock. A host of national newspapers and television news programmes have been quick to criticise Hastings - labelling it a violent, drug infested racial battleground.
Today though, the people of Hastings showed what the town is really all about - with dozens of local residents meeting outside USA Fried Chicken and Kebab House on White Rock before marching in silence to the town hall.
There they joined hundreds of other locals - all keen to pay their respects to Mohammed and show solidarity with his grieving family.
With many dressed in black and carrying flowers they were joined by 25 members of Mohammed's family, recently arrived from their home in Qatar.
There was also a large delegation from the Qatar embassy - including ambassador Khalid Al-Mansouri.
After town crier John Bartholomew read out a short message to the throngs of people gathered outside Priory Meadow some 350 people joined together in two minutes of silence.
At the end of the impeccably observed mark of respect dozens of black balloons were released into the sky.
Relatives of the 16-year-old, including his father Abdullah Hussain al-Majed, then walked to the exact spot where police found Mohammed on August 22 - just outside the Pig in Paradise pub.
Here they paused to say prayers and lay flowers, joined by a host of local dignitaries including Hastings mayor Maureen Charlesworth and MP Michael Foster.
Remzi Tanriverdi, the owner of the kebab shop Mohammed had been in on the night of his death, handed over a book of condolences to the teenager's father - full of messages from both Mohammed's friends and shocked local residents.
The entourage then made its way back to the town hall, being stopped on more than one occasion by local well-wishers keen to voice their sympathies with the family.
Speaking after the event Hastings MP Michael Foster said: "We have just commemorated in some way the sadness, the sorrow and indeed the anger in our local community that such should have happened and that this young life should have been brought to an end so tragically.
"Our whole community is at one in condemning any form of activities such as the ones which led to Mohammed's death.
"Mohammed came to Hastings as a very welcome visitor and we continue to welcome visitors from all over the world.
"Our thoughts are with his family."
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Weather for Hastings
Sunday 12 February 2012
Today
Light snow
Temperature: 1 C to 5 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 2 C to 7 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: North west
