Mayor Sadiq Khan of London has delivered a stirring speech declaring, “We must build bridges, not walls!”—a sentiment that rings hollow to many given his role in constructing anti-terror walls on most of the city’s iconic bridges.
Khan’s exhortation for bridge-building met with puzzled looks and stifled chuckles from the audience, who couldn’t help but recall the towering barriers that now line London’s river crossings, stark reminders of the security concerns gripping the city.
“It’s like hearing a chef extoll the virtues of veganism while grilling a T-bone steak,” remarked one observer, struggling to contain their disbelief.
The Mayor’s defenders scrambled to spin his words, arguing that the anti-terror walls were necessary measures to safeguard Londoners from potential threats. However, critics were quick to point out the irony of Khan’s bridge-building rhetoric in light of his concrete endeavors.
“It’s a classic case of ‘do as I say, not as I do,'” quipped another Londoner, shaking their head in disbelief.
As the debate rages on, Londoners are left to ponder the gulf between Khan’s lofty aspirations and the concrete realities of his actions. While the Mayor may wax poetic about building bridges, his legacy may well be etched in the walls he’s erected—both literal and metaphorical—around the city’s landmarks.
In the end, only time will tell whether Khan’s words will bridge the divide between rhetoric and reality or crumble under the weight of their own contradictions. Until then, Londoners can only watch and wait as the drama unfolds on the stage of the city’s streets.
