Talk:Manchester Arena bombing/Archive 1

Semi-protected edit request on 23 May 2017
Cite note 22 is an invalid reference for this situation. It refers to an article from March, whereas this incident occurred this month. Jaydenkieran (talk) 04:04, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

This citation keeps changing, so for clarity, it's the one linking to this article. Jaydenkieran (talk) 04:08, 23 May 2017 (UTC)


 * ✅ Stikkyy (talk) (contributions) 04:10, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * The cite to the article about the Facebook safety activation was also dated to March, which seems to have been an error with the citation -- the source is from 22 May. GorillaWarfare (talk) 04:12, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

I'm reopening this because the incorrect citation is for some reason back. Jaydenkieran (talk) 04:58, 23 May 2017 (UTC)


 * ✅ Removed again. Thanks for your attention to this. GorillaWarfare (talk) 05:00, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Pictogram voting comment.svg Note: Marking as answered. regards,  DRAGON BOOSTER   ★  06:14, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

Question on Explosions section
Why does it mention US officials? Is it a typo meant to say UK? Kingsif (talk) 00:48, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * This has been removed, so marking section as resolved. --- Another Believer ( Talk ) 00:51, 23 May 2017 (UTC)


 * at least some US officials have been talking to the US media. How much of it is anything more than speculation is hard to say.©Geni (talk) 00:54, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * BBC News have been reporting this, but I agree, how much of it is speculation is difficult to know at present. This is Paul (talk) 01:08, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * There's a press conference due I suspect thats the point where we will get a fairly solid outline.©Geni (talk) 01:24, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

"In the news"?
Is this "In the news" worthy? --- Another Believer ( Talk ) 00:08, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Far too soon for that. GorillaWarfare (talk) 00:10, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * This is a matter to be discussed on In the news/Candidates. In any case, they will likely refrain from posting it until concrete information is known.--Sunshineisles2 (talk) 00:12, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * The incident already appears on the Main page (that was quick!), so I am marking this section as resolved. --- Another Believer ( Talk ) 01:12, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

Two possible things
We cant say anything until reliable sources weigh in about the cause but either this is terrorism, or an accident. Even if terrorist organizations claim responsibility we cant go by it until things are confirmed. - Knowledgekid87 (talk) 23:50, 22 May 2017 (UTC)


 * its 1am UK time. Police unlikely to be saying much until 6am or so.©Geni (talk) 00:01, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * There should be a press conference right now (was scheduled for 2:40 AM) but I have no information on what's the status or what was presented there. StenSoft (talk) 01:55, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

News conference
There will be a news conference within the next half hour (about 2:40am Manchester time, 9:40pm EST) by the head of the police, according to Sky News.  —   Gestrid  ( talk ) 01:26, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Yes, this will hopefully clear some things up. - Knowledgekid87 (talk) 01:31, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * So the press conference just repeated what we already know. Explosion at 10:33pm, 19 confirmed dead, around 50 injured, incident treated as terrorist attack until known otherwise, avoid the area, more details when the police has clearer picture. StenSoft (talk) 02:42, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

British PM calls it a "suicide attack":
Harizotoh9 (talk) 02:38, 23 May 2017 (UTC)


 * Really? Because this was her quote according to another source: "We are working to establish the full details of what is being treated by the police as an appalling terrorist attack". - Knowledgekid87 (talk) 02:39, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Is the full text of her statement anywhere? Not seeing the mention of a suicide attack in any other sources reporting on her statement. GorillaWarfare (talk) 02:40, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * How come only a source in a far-off land has this? Where are the local sources? WWGB (talk) 02:41, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Well it is 3:43AM over there now. - Knowledgekid87 (talk) 02:43, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * For the record the source in question that was used is Billboard where it says: British prime minister Theresa May has issued a statement after an explosion at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester on Monday (May 22) night killed at least 19 and injured 50.


 * "We are working to establish the full details of what is being treated by the police as an appalling terrorist attack. All our thoughts are with the victims and the families of those who have been affected," said May in a statement, as the Guardian reports. - Knowledgekid87 (talk) 02:49, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

CNBC is reporting May said "Appalling attack", not suicide attack. Might be some confusion over exact wording. In any case, a bunch of sources are calling it a bombing and an attack. Though we should be cautious, I don't think this will turn out to be a gas leak, or someone accidentally dropped a live grenade. It seems purposeful, and both authorities are treating it as such, as well as the media.

At the very least, we have enough to call this article "2017 Manchester Arena bombing". It's no longer an "incident". Harizotoh9 (talk) 02:57, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

ISIS involvement on the attack
Just have edited the article, I added possible involvement on the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant to the attack, but it has been removed minutes after. While the explosion is still not known as a terrorist attack, possible involvement of ISIS can be mentioned, but how it can be handled there? TagaSanPedroAko (talk) 03:46, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Official sources have to tell us of ISIS involvement. We can't speculate. Bus stop (talk) 03:49, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * I was the one who removed your edit. The source you cited has a section titled "Attack Came After ISIS Plea", which reads in full: Last week, the Islamic State released a 44-minute video featuring fighters of different nationalities, enjoining their supporters back home to carry out acts of violence. Among them was a man identified as a British national, according to a translation of the video provided by the Middle East Media Research Institute, which tracks jihadi propaganda. Besides the threat last week, ISIS has repeatedly targeted the U.K. in its propaganda, though with little effect until earlier this year. — Rukmini Callimachi. We'll need quite a lot more than that to claim that ISI(L|S) is being "implicated" in this attack; it is one quote by one person in one source saying that ISIS published a video last week, and one of the people was British. GorillaWarfare (talk) 03:51, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * And Callimachi has stated that there has been no claim from ISIS yet: Matt's talk 03:55, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Ah, that means, we need to wait for reports that ISIS claimed responsibility to appear. Is mentioning ISIS here very presumptive, though the NY Times article I cited posted mentions an ISIS video? -TagaSanPedroAko (talk) 04:00, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Not necessarily; if a few reliable sources are discussing possible ISIS involvement it might be worth mentioning. The issue here is that it's a quote from someone (so not necessarily the editorial stance of the paper), the quote does not implicate ISIS in this event, and it's only one source. GorillaWarfare (talk) 04:26, 23 May 2017 (UTC)


 * Just remember, no matter what the headlines say, Amaq News Agency is not ISIS, does not claim to be ISIS, does not claim ISIS as a source for information and doesn't even write in the first-person. Therefore, nothing it claims about ISIS should be paraphrased as something ISIS claims. Even if the news claims ISIS claims it, they'll also elaborate on Amaq claiming it. Cite the part about Amaq claiming it, if you feel the need to cite the stories at all.
 * If ISIS wants to claim something, it has plenty of official media. Best to hear it from the horse's mouths. InedibleHulk (talk) 04:22, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

Reddit live event
Reddit has started a live event for the Manchester explosion. While it is not a reliable source, the links it sends out (official tweets, statements, etc.) may be reliable.  —   Gestrid  ( talk ) 00:38, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * The live event has ended, but may still be useful for retrieving official statements at a later date. Danielennistv (talk) 04:33, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

"Terrorist attack"
Where are you seeing it confirmed as a terror attack? It really should stay titled an "incident" until officially labeled as such; even if police have said they're "treating the incident as terror-related". GorillaWarfare (talk) 00:09, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * It's too early to call it a "terrorist attack". We shouldn't speculate or sensationalize until we have sources that have facts.  Even if it is a likely conclusion--v/r - TP 00:09, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Agreed, (to editors) unless you are prepared to add a source, please don't label this as terrorism as it is misleading. - Knowledgekid87 (talk) 00:11, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * According to Sky people are being treated for "shrapnel-type injuries", this could mean a lot of things but my first thought was the Boston Marathon bombing. - Knowledgekid87 (talk) 00:18, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Here is one . Every news outlet (BBC, Telegraph, etc) and police statement is treating it as a terrorist attack.  If they are treating it as a terrorist attack, why would we not treating it as a terrorist attack? --DHeyward (talk) 00:28, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Because their default procedure is to treat explosions like a terrorist attack until they know otherwise. We need to avoid latching on to every bit of information as if it's concrete and accurate.  We have higher standards than...sorry to say it...the media these days.--v/r - TP 00:35, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

The Greater Manchester Police twitter has now stated that they are treating it as a terrorist incident until there is sufficient evidence overwise. Kingsif (talk) 00:28, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * They're following their procedures for these types of matters which begins with assuming the worst. We aren't in any rush, here.  We're not a news site, we're not for speculating or sensationalism.  We can take our time to get it right.--v/r - TP 00:30, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Yes, it's their procedure for terrorist attacks. As opposed to their response to hooligans, fires or riots.  The press and police and our sources are treating this as a terrorist attack.  It' not controversial.  Editors appear to hear attribution when they hear "terrorist" and that's a problem with editors own bias, not the treatment that this is terrorism.  It's not speculation or sensationalizing an explosion that killed 20+ people.  --00:47, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * No, it's their procedure for any explosion outside  of a chemical plant.  Are you seriously accusing me of being having too liberal of a bias to call something terrorism?--v/r - TP 00:54, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * It's only a liberal/conservative argument when there is attribution. You're jumping a step ahead if you think conservatives jump to 'terrorism' and liberals wait.  If this were an explosion in a crowded black church in the southern U.S., it would still be terrorism.  --DHeyward (talk) 01:17, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Right or wrong this is going off topic. - Knowledgekid87 (talk) 01:18, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * AGF please? I think those of us opposing labeling this a terrorist attack until it is confirmed as such are just trying to err on the side of caution. As I said below, "incident" is an absolutely accurate description. "Terrorist attack" is not until it is confirmed as such by authorities. I don't see what harm we're doing by being cautious here. GorillaWarfare (talk) 01:20, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Yes, please AGF. What exactly are you being cautious about?  How is it more cautious?  What harm is being reduced through this caution?  Right now, "Manchester Arena" is less accurate than "terrorist attack."  That's real harm to the arena if the bomb was detonated in a public space outside the arena by a suicide bomber.  Should we remove "Arena" out of caution? --DHeyward (talk) 01:38, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * If I had known you would take my words quite so literally I might have phrased it more carefully. I don't think labeling it a terrorist attack is doing anyone any harm, even if it is inaccurate. I am simply making the argument that I would rather use the more general wording until the incident is officially specified as terrorism. I apologize if anything I've said has come off as not assuming good faith. I have no issue with labeling this a terrorist attack if that is how the authorities, etc. decide to classify it. I just would rather we do so after they do, not before. GorillaWarfare (talk) 01:41, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

(I'm on phone so it's hard to write references) News outlets also say that dozens of children who got separated in the incident are being sheltered at a nearby hotel; police attested one man from inside a vehicle but without resistance; there is no "mark yourself safe" on Facebook yet; at around midnight local time, a man began shooting at Oldham Hospital (within greater Manchester - notably related, not going to get it's own page) Kingsif (talk) 00:31, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * We aren't a news site. The news will cover this.  We're a encyclopedia.--v/r - TP 00:32, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * And we follow sources. Sources are treating this as a terrorist attack. They have said so. There is no "assume the worst" police procedure to treat everything as a terrorist attack until proven otherwise.  Quite the opposite.  You can test this theory out by lighting your house on fire and see if they the fire department responds or if the police arrive, "assume the worst" and treat like a terrorist attack.  --DHeyward (talk) 00:38, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * DHeyward, these sources are not using confident wording. What if we jump to conclusions and get it wrong? - Knowledgekid87 (talk) 00:40, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * "Treating" as a terrorist attack is a comment on their procedures not on what they suspect. First responders are not investigators.  Wait for the investigators.  We're not a blog, news, or the Daily Mail.  We don't speculate.  We're an encyclopedia.--v/r - TP 00:41, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * What's the harm in getting it wrong? So far, 20+ dead and 50+ injured should be comforted that it was an incident?  We aren't attributing terrorism to any group or person but our sources are reporting it as terrorism.  It's pretty callous to the victims to call it an "incident." --DHeyward (talk) 00:53, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Are you suggesting that facts are a matter of comforting people? There is no rush.  Calm down.  It's 90% likely that this article will be moved to "terrorist attack" by tomorrow.  All I'm saying is, let's not be reactionary to first responders trying to get a situation under control.--v/r - TP 00:56, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * I am quite calm. The argument that "what if we jump to conclusions getting it wrong" is a concern cuts both ways.  This is fairly and objectively a terrorist attacks.  The concern about getting it wrong is really only valid when we attribute the terrorism to a person or group.  We haven't done that that.  "Terrorist attack" is accurate.  Whether it's the Unabomber or a suicide bomber or ISIS or the IRA or anybody else is the concern for getting it wrong. not the observation that 19 are dead and it was terrorism.  --DHeyward (talk) 01:10, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * If you want to try a move request, be my guest. But you'll likely be more successful in 2 or 3 hours.--v/r - TP 01:12, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * The oldham thing doesn't appear to have happened and there is no evidence that the arrest was related to the incident.©Geni (talk) 00:32, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

^ that's in the wrong place.

Here: what is your resistance to using the language that, now, literally every news source and the actual police on the ground dealing with it is!? They would not confirm if as terrorism unless they believed it to be, and if you still think it's somehow sensationalist then just phrase it as someone reaction with quotation marks. Kingsif (talk) 00:34, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * They are treating it as a terrorist incident, which is the same as saying it's potentially a terrorist attack; they are not saying or confirming that it's a terrorist attack. "Terrorist attack" is an unusual title for Wikipedia, so let's hope no one tries to use it when the protection's lifted. -- zzuuzz (talk) 00:36, 23 May 2017 (UTC)


 * Facebook Safety Check has been activated.  —   Gestrid  ( talk ) 00:36, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * So? It is WP:UNDUE.  When this article is finished, it's most likely not going to mention facebook's safety check.  We're an encyclopedia, not the news.--v/r - TP 00:38, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Sorry, pinged the wrong editor. Meant to ping  since they mentioned Safety Check.  I wasn't commenting on whether or not it should be included in the article.  —   Gestrid  ( talk ) 01:09, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Here are the words being used in sources... "possible" "unconfirmed", "may have", and "not yet". - Knowledgekid87 (talk) 00:37, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Because they haven't confirmed it as terrorism. They said they are treating it like terrorism because those procedures offer the most protection for their cops and the bystandards.  This is about their procedure, not what they think.  By tomorrow, we'll start hearing from investigators about what they think.  But we don't start reporting first responders procedures as facts.--v/r - TP 00:37, 23 May 2017 (UTC)


 * Regardless of whether this is or not, convention is to title by basic description. 9/11 isn't the September 11 terror attacks, it is the September 11 attacks. Ditto the 2017 Stockholm attack, 2017 Saint Petersburg Metro bombing and 2017 shooting of Paris police officers. I'm not seeing a reason to deviate from this stance. Fuebaey (talk) 00:39, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * I also noticed that the lead of Ariana Grande's article calls it a terrorist bombing and if there is a agreement that it should not be called that here it the terminology should not be used there. The article is currently protected so could someone please make the change until we have stronger sourcing.--64.229.167.158 (talk) 00:43, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Already done. - Knowledgekid87 (talk) 00:44, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

The Telegraph. Manchester Arena: 19 dead in 'terror attack' explosion at Ariana Grande concert. --DHeyward (talk) 00:58, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * "Possible" and "suspected". --- Another Believer ( Talk ) 00:59, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Give it a rest for now, there is going to be a police briefing soon anyways. - Knowledgekid87 (talk) 01:01, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * 90% chance that by the end of the night it'll be moved. Just give it a few hours for the dust to settle.--v/r - TP 01:05, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Agreed. Wikipedia is meant to report on what other reliable sources say; I don't understand the general urge to be so hasty in labeling an attack a terrorist incident when reliable sources have not confirmed. I'd absolutely prefer we be a bit slow and careful to change from "incident" to "terrorist attack"; the former will always be an accurate description of what happened. GorillaWarfare (talk) 01:08, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * CBS News calls it an "attack" as according to UK police forces: The explosive devices are said to have been filled with nails. --79.242.203.134 (talk) 01:13, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * There is no connection to the UK here. - Knowledgekid87 (talk) 01:16, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Your source doesn't mention nails. And it only says police are investigating the possibility of this being a terrorist attack (0:54).--v/r - TP 01:16, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * All information so far has been most likely gathered by UK forces, including those given to US law enforcment. And quote my source: "UPDATE: There were two explosions at Manchester Arena which contained nails". It's what CBS News writes under the video on Facebook. --79.242.203.134 (talk) 01:19, 23 May 2017 (UTC)


 * We seem to be the only publication doubting that this was a terrorist attack. The police have informally confirmed that it was a suicide bomber and, if I've understood CNN correctly, they have identified the bomber. The prime minister has used the term "terrorist attack", attributing it to the police. SarahSV (talk) 01:23, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Can you provide links for these? I haven't seen these in the refs used, though the editing is going quickly and I may well have missed something. GorillaWarfare (talk) 01:26, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Again there is going to be a police news conference at 9:40PM (Eastern). - Knowledgekid87 (talk) 01:28, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Ah, good, thanks for that info. That should hopefully clear things up a bit. GorillaWarfare (talk) 01:29, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * , here's a link re: prime minister. SarahSV (talk) 01:56, 23 May 2017 (UTC) Typo means I have to re-notify: SarahSV (talk) 01:58, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Thanks! GorillaWarfare (talk) 02:07, 23 May 2017 (UTC)


 * We are certainly not the only publication doubting this; many are still calling it "suspected" or using language like "could be"..., , . People are far too quick to jump the gun when it comes to attacks in Western countries (WP:HOLDYOURHORSES). Just wait for more confirmation.  Eve rgr een Fir  (talk) 01:55, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

"Terrorist attack" is now a more solid description than "Manchester Arena." --DHeyward (talk) 01:33, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Just open a move request after the police conference. We'll all feel better about making a decision then.--v/r - TP 01:38, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * I already moved it once. When those that reverted it and locked it decide I was correct, they can move it.  I tried bring the water to the horse.  I tried to bring the horse to the water.  Drinking is now up to the horse.  Currently, I think "Manchester Arena" is rather vague for a target and "bombing" or "suicide bombing" is as valid as "terrorist attack."  --DHeyward (talk) 01:54, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Your opinion on the matter is clear, and well noted. - Knowledgekid87 (talk) 01:55, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * No one said you were wrong or right. This isn't about being right.  It's about being cautious and being careful about the types of speculation we allow into the article.  All we asked is that it be given time.  No one said you couldn't propose a move at any time.--v/r - TP 02:26, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * There is nothing to be cautious about. What is the caution?  The police, our sources and politicians are treating it as a terrorist attack.  We are treating it as an incident.  Why?  The concern about labeling is when we identify the terrorist and the group but not the term "terrorism" or "bombing."  We should be treating this as a terrorist attack until authorities say otherwise which is exactly what every source is doing.  --DHeyward (talk) 04:00, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

Looks like not much to add on the issue of "terrorist attack" vs. "incident" after the police press conference: "We are currently treating this as a terrorist incident until we have further information." GorillaWarfare (talk) 02:11, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * The police, our sources and politicians are treating it as a terrorist attack. That's what the police report triggered.  Why wouldn't we treat it like a terrorist attack just like the police, the press and politicians? --DHeyward (talk) 04:00, 23 May 2017 (UTC)


 * This should have been titled 2017 Manchester Arena explosion instead of 2017 Manchester Arena incident as we can confirm an explosion occurred, even though we're not sure it's terrorism Gamebuster19901 (Talk║Contributions) 02:13, 23 May 2017 (UTC)


 * "At least 19 people dead following ‘terrorist incident’ at Ariana Grande concert in Manchester" Bus stop (talk) 04:03, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * We can confirm now (and have been for a while). Saying 'should have been' is confusing since it's not clear when you mean. I don't think it should have been called that when it was created (about an hour after the explosion I believe) since I'm not sure it had been confirmed there was an explosion [//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2017_Manchester_Arena_incident&oldid=781735345]. There were many reports of it being an explosion, but history has shown with many incidents that such early reports can often be wrong. I mean as it stands, there are still a number of sources saying there were two explosions (and I don't think this was the controlled once since they were from before it happened) yet others are just saying there are one. Nil Einne (talk) 04:11, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * As a point of fact, you're correct that there were several reports of two explosions before the controlled detonation occurred. GorillaWarfare (talk) 04:13, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Most sources I've seen report that there was one explosion in the main concert hall, along with a second one outside the main hall. Can't confirm until GM Police do. Danielennistv (talk) 04:32, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * What I meant was, |this move should not have happened, because even when this was first reported on, we still could confirm at least one explosion occurred. Gamebuster19901 (Talk║Contributions) 04:41, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

"Treating" as terrorism
Just means police can use counterterrorism powers to investigate. Doesn't indicate in any way that police believe it's terrorism. Just makes it easier to collect evidence, then start believing in something or another. That's all I think I'll say for this article. InedibleHulk (talk) 04:30, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * On this Wiki's own article, terrorism is described as "the use of intentionally indiscriminate violence as a means to create terror or fear, in order to achieve a political, religious, or ideological aim." One could argue that simply throwing a pen at a colleague or pinching and punching a family member on the first day of the month could be classed as terrorism uner this definition. I understand your point completely. Cameron previously tried repealing the Human Rights Act following the Charlie Hedbo attacks, with May (when she was home secretary) trying to introduce a dodgy af snoopers charter, which IIRC went through last year, yet no one seemed to care. But to say such an attack is not terrorism is dumb as it meets the definition perfectly!UaMaol (talk) 04:46, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * I'm not talking about the way lawmakers change (or try to change) the law in the weeks after, I mean the way police use the existing laws immediately after. And I'm not trying to say it wasn't terrorism. Just that "treating as" doesn't mean "is". Absolutely no problem with calling terrorists terrorists, just with calling anything anything based on the misreading of a hint from a vaguely-worded hunch.
 * In any case, I'm not here to argue. Just literally two cents. I've skimmed through Ariana Grande's talk page, and this is going to be the nuttiest one of these "terror attack" articles yet. Good luck to everyone! InedibleHulk (talk) 05:08, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * first, that's original research. Second, wet have no indication of motive yet. Third, hold your horses.  Eve rgr een Fir  (talk) 05:02, 23 May 2017 (UTC)


 * With respect, your opinions on whether this is terrorism are irrelevant here. The incident is being treated by authorities as terrorism, but as yet has not been conclusively labeled as terrorism. That's what is important to the article. GorillaWarfare (talk) 05:04, 23 May 2017 (UTC)


 * Inedible Hulk, you're being ludicrous. The police *knows* it's terrorism – everyone could see what happened, that's not what happens when a bottle with soda accidentally explodes from the CO2 bubbles during a concert – and thankfully, they have enough decency to also say that they *assume* it's terrorism unless proven otherwise. The verbs "assume" and "believe" are basically synonymous here. In reality, they almost certainly know many more details than those that have been released to the public and the doubts about the terrorist character of this incident are non-existent within the police investigator teams. Lumidek (talk) 05:05, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * I'm quite sure the police have many more details than those that have been released to the public, but Wikipedia articles reflect the details that are available in reliable sources. GorillaWarfare (talk) 05:12, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * The U.K. police *has* officially called the event a "terrorist incident", see e.g. and many other sources. I am just criticizing Inedible Hulk - and probably you - that you're working hard to obfuscate or even censor well-known and important facts. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Lumidek (talk • contribs)
 * In my case, hardly working. InedibleHulk (talk) 05:32, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Again, that article text says "treated by police as a 'terrorist incident", "police calling it a 'terrorist incident'", etc. Still not officially designated a terrorist attack. GorillaWarfare (talk) 05:53, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * This is exactly why we should have a standalone article and category for terror attack, instead of just redirecting it to terrorism. Much has been written about terror attacks over the last few years, and about half the time, they end up without known motives or different motives, so we're forced to choose between calling them terrorist attacks or not calling them anything.
 * If we call them terrorist attacks, word nerds get angry. If we don't call them terrorist attacks, war nerds get angry. If we call them terror attacks, everyone would be happier and sources would more universally agree. We could use the hours/days/weeks we spend saying "Yes it is! No it isn't!" on better things. There would be fewer edit conflicts, and fewer edit conflicts might lead to fewer global conflicts. At least we'd have fewer angry nerds on both sides of the table, who could focus on writing an encyclopedia for free. InedibleHulk (talk) 06:42, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

Can we add this?
Is it possible to add this notice in the future? This mess could be linked to the UK's involvement in Syria. Supreme Dragon (talk) 05:42, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Not possible, no relevance or significance established. "Could" is not reason to consider anything. WWGB (talk) 05:50, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * We don't know enough about who did this at the moment. Even if it is the work of an Islamist looney tune, the link with the Syrian civil war is tenuous. This is also true of the Murder of Lee Rigby.-- ♦Ian Ma c M♦  (talk to me) 05:53, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

Why can't I publish my edits...
...when some one has published their edit while I was editing? MaxPlays (talk) 10:33, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Edit conflict, you need to be patient. WWGB (talk) 10:36, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

BBC articles/resources

 * What we know so far

For future use.  Lugnuts  Fire Walk with Me 08:25, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

Nicola Sturgeon
Nicola Sturgeon is the First Minister of Scotland and the leader of the third largest party by number of MP's in the last election. Surely enough both of these facts make her response to the incident notable, no?UaMaol (talk) 04:34, 23 May 2017 (UTC)


 * Ms Sturgeon's comments are still there, but they have been moved below those by officials in Manchester, who are clearly more relevant to this article. I put UK party leaders in alphabetical order, partly as a nod to maintaining NPOV during the electoral period. Matt's talk 05:00, 23 May 2017 (UTC)


 * The UK Prime Minister (along with the Defence and Home minister) is responsible for the defence and security of the United Kingdom, regardless of his or her political party, and so should be given priority over any leader of a devolved administration of the United Kingdom. Especially since defence and security is power reserved to the UK Parliament. Otherwise, the leader of Bavaria should have priority over the German Chancellor. Or the Californian Governor over the US President. Funkinwolf (talk) 08:33, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

UEFA reaction relevancy
Is a reaction from the UEFA in regards upcoming 2017 UEFA Europa League Final relevant for the "Other" paragraph? Manchester United F.C. will be playing that final against AFC Ajax on 24 May 2017. JoeriB92 (talk) 10:44, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

Change article name?
The Manchester Police is comfirming that this is a terrorist attack http://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-40010486/manchester-police-this-was-a-terrorist-attack. Should the article not be change to the Terrorattack in Manchester Arena? --Gurra.79 (talk) 11:05, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * "Terror attack" is not a common Wikipedia phrase, eg the 9/11 article is September 11 attacks.-- ♦Ian Ma c M♦  (talk to me) 11:07, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * It has already been renamed to 2017 Manchester Arena bombing per the discussion above. — Sasuke Sarutobi (talk) 11:09, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * It should either be 2017 Manchester bombing or Manchester Arena bombing. The current title would only be justified if there had been another bombing at the same arena or another bombing in the same city this year. Jim Michael (talk) 11:16, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

Arndale Centre evacuation
Just a heads-up for now, Arndale Centre is being evacuated as at 11:35 or so UK time. No reason given as yet, but seems to have been triggered by the widening of the police cordon around the Arena. May in time prove to be connected or not, significant or not. 93.89.131.57 (talk) 10:46, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Greater Manchester Police have now said a man has been arrested and it is believed to be unconnected, but we will keep an eye on it. — Sasuke Sarutobi (talk) 11:13, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Correct. And apparently the evacuation is over and the Centre is open to public again. 93.89.131.57 (talk) 11:17, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Now that it's over and confirmed unconnected, I'm wondering if it's worth mentioning this in the "Aftermath" section. — Sasuke Sarutobi (talk) 11:34, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

ArbCom DS
I removed the banner - even broadly construed I don't see this page being "about" these topics right now and as a current event many edits are likely to be occurring to this article that are "revert like" that are in no way related to that topic. — xaosflux  Talk 12:27, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Since ISIL is mentioned, this page is automatically under WP:GS/ISIL sanctions boradly construed. The notification is merely to warn users. Anyone, breaching the sanctions will be brought to ArbCom, regardless whether the notice is present or not.GreyShark (dibra) 12:29, 23 May 2017 (UTC)


 * Placing this article under such a Draconian sanction based on an unsubstantiated connection to ISIL would be ill-advised. If the article is subject to 1RR, there must be an edit notice so that editors are properly alerted.- MrX 12:35, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

David Leavitt
Boston, Massachusetts journalist posted a tweet in the aftermath of the bombing, which has rightly drawn lots of criticism for its bad taste. This is being reported on ((Metro). Will leave it to those actively editing the article to decide upon it inclusion or not. Mjroots (talk) 12:56, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * That was added and removed earlier, and shouldn't come back. As with the Katie Hopkins example, such comments are simply irrelevant to this article. BencherliteTalk 13:04, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

Victims' names and bios
As the names of the killed and wounded are released, we need to decide whether the article will include their names and biographies. These will doubtless be included in news coverage, since thy have human interest, but Wikipedia is WP:NOTAMEMORIAL and it would amount to a memorial to the victims. Unless someone who otherwise satisfied WP:BIO was in the crowd, the victims are in the news for only one thing, and that is being in a place at the wrong time. I would encourage summary statistics of age, gender, and nationality only, unless the investigation discloses that some individuals took some action which affected the events such as or fighting with them to try and prevent the bombing, or aiding them in getting into position, or heroically aiding victims. Edison (talk) 12:38, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * I have already removed one and I'm generally opposed to including that level of detail for privacy reasons and per WP:BLPNAME. I agree with your proposal.- MrX 12:50, 23 May 2017 (UTC)


 * See - MrX 13:03, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * I know there are always well-meaning editors who see the bio details and want to include them in the related article. But see 2016 Brussels bombings for an example of how it should be done. That said, the editors of some articles have decided to include a victim lst, such as 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting, but in such cases it was judged best to wait for a complete official list from the authorities, rather than a hodgepodge of individual names with fragmentary details being added and revised. See Talk:2016 Orlando nightclub shooting/Archive 1. Edison (talk) 13:08, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

Two of the victims' names have now already been widely disseminated, quite apart from Wikipedia, and are now public knowledge throughout the UK, for example as a result of their inclusion in the main national lunchtime BBC News. WP:BLPNAME therefore does not apply (at least not according to my reading of it). However, it is probably best not to include the names in the article at the moment. The identities of the deceased are currently incomplete, the information will emerge in the fullness of time and it may then be appropriate to refer to them as a matter of record, like Wikipedia does for instance with the identity of the 2005 7/7 attack victims. I note there, however, Wikipedia has a link to the Independent online, to a page where the victims' names are found so it is one click away.user: aspaa[[user talk:aspaa] 13:21, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

Infobox - 'target' section
I realise this is small beer, in the overall scheme of things, but: in the infobox the 'target' is shown as 'Ariana Grande concert' - I think that's a bit misleading. It sounds like the actual concert performance, maybe even Ms Grande herself, was targeted. Whereas the incident happened a) after the end of the concert, and b) just outside the venue. I think a more appropriate description of the target would be 'concert-goers' or words to that effect. 93.89.131.57 (talk) 06:44, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * The attacker seems to have detonated the bomb outside the Arena after the concert, as attempting to get into the building might have led to a body search. This was why the bombers in the November 2015 Paris attacks detonated their weapons outside the stadium. We may never know the exact sequence of events, but the bomber may have been content to kill people as they left the building.-- ♦Ian Ma c M♦  (talk to me) 07:07, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Sorry, I changed the "target" parameter from "Ariana Grande concertgoers" to just "Concertgoers". We don't know that the perpetrator was specifically targeting Ariana Grande fans (could have been any other pop star, probably). Let's keep less specific? --- Another Believer ( Talk ) 14:02, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

Perpetrator in fatality count
Do we have a source for the perpetrator not being included in the fatality count? I note that the BBC and other news agencies say 22 dead, do we know if that includes the bomber? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Gxrneyme (talk • contribs) 09:04, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * I agree that the number is 22. There is no mention of 23 deaths. If number should be 23, than sources should be provided. Kind regards, Rodejong 💬 ✉️  09:18, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Ian Hopkins, GMP has confirmed that perpetrator is included in the count here in the video found here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-40008389 GingerGeek (talk) 09:25, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Ian Hopkins does not appear in the video currently at that url. --David Biddulph (talk) 09:49, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * PM says (at 12:04 CET) "In addition to the terrorist there are 22 victims." So 23 should be the right number? Kind regards, Rodejong 💬 ✉️  10:15, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * I was watching and I thought she said 22 fatalities, including the attacker. Grez868 (talk) 10:23, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * These two sources state that the perpetrator "killed 22"; this would make the fatality count 23. ~ KN2731 {talk} 10:34, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * No, killed 22: 21 homicides and one suicide. WWGB (talk) 10:38, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * WWGB: Source? PM says: In addition to the terrorist there are 22 victims. Kind regards, Rodejong 💬 ✉️  11:27, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * I added 23 fatalities including the perpetrator this morning with a clear source to a statement from Manchester police confirming 22 victims died, but WWGB removed the link and then the death toll was eventually reverted by someone who said no source was provided. Citations, even if in an infobox, should not be removed, especially in the early hours to avoid confusion. News organizations don't always include the perpetrator in the death toll which can cause confusion. Police statement at http://www.gmp.police.uk/Live/Nhoodv3.nsf/TriageWebsitePages/5C071E8A3B6E6761802581290023AD7E?OpenDocument Michael5046 (talk) 14:11, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

International Reactions
The Pope and the Government of Argentina also show solidarity to the victims and the city of Manchester.   Should be added to the reactions sections. 200.16.99.56 (talk) 13:48, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * ✅ I have added both of them. The Spanish reference for Argentina. I have used a English reference for the Pope's statement seperately. JoeriB92 (talk) 14:54, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

Ariana Grande navigation template?
Should Template:Ariana Grande be added to the bottom of this article? (This is assuming "2017 Manchester Arena incident" is added to the navigation template's "Related topics" section.) --- Another Believer ( Talk ) 00:02, 23 May 2017 (UTC)


 * Not at this stage.©Geni (talk) 00:10, 23 May 2017 (UTC)


 * Possibly. Dinah Kirkland (talk) 15:06, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

Requested move 23 May 2017

 * The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review. No further edits should be made to this section. 

The result of the move request was: Fuzheado moved it to 2017 Manchester Arena bombing. SarahSV (talk) 07:16, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

2017 Manchester Arena incident → 2017 Manchester Arena terrorist attack – All reliable sources are calling this a terrorist attack. SarahSV (talk) 04:10, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

Note: There's an alternative suggestion below to move it to 2017 Manchester Arena bombing. Please say which you prefer or suggest something else. SarahSV (talk) 04:30, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

An incident is when I spill tea on my rug. This was a bombing. Due to the ambiguity of the "incident", the title fits, especially as "bombing" and "suicide attack" is purely speculative, and Wikipedia does not speculate.  livelikemusic    talk!  03:28, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Move the article to 2017 Manchester Arena attack or 2017 Manchester Arena bombing.--Rævhuld (talk) 03:27, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * I didn't claimed it was suicidal. We know that it is an attack. We just don't know if it was suicidal or a terrorist attack, even though that it is likely. But we know for sure, that it is an attack. At least according to The Washington Post. The word bombing is used by police and mass media as well. So I don't see how that should be speculation? --Rævhuld (talk) 03:33, 23 May 2017 (UTC)


 * I never said you did; I'm merely going based on the overall talk page and online speculation. Per CNN, updated ten minutes ago, that it is "a suicide bombing is the likely reason for the blast. A male at the scene has been identified as the probable attacker".  This is not solid confirmation, therefore, it falls under the category of speculation.  I say we wait until the morning (US or UK time) for official word from officials in Manchester, etc.  Until then, we are reacting with gut, instead of core facts.   livelikemusic    talk!  03:38, 23 May 2017 (UTC)


 * Move The people killed by nails propelled by an explosive disagree with "incident". Those are facts covered in many sources. Wikipedia should be reluctant to name groups behind such attacks, but not reluctant about calling them "attacks." When the police come out nearly immediately as treating such attacks as terrorism, it's pretty clear that it's terrorism. Police don't even mention terrorism until they have evidence. Our sources, eyewitnesses and political leaders have labeled it terrorism. The term "Islamic terrorism" is the term that requires extreme caution, but terrorism that is obvious to everyone should be called terrorism. We are not attributing this act to an individual, group or cause. That doesn't mean it's not terrorism. Nor should we shy from that description. --DHeyward (talk) 03:48, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * When the authorities move from treating the attacks "as terrorism" to describing them as definitive terrorist attacks, I will support the move; once they are confident enough to label it terrorism, I will be as well. I don't think you're correct that "our sources, eyewitnesses and political leaders have labeled it terrorism"; in fact, all the reliable sources I've seen have been quite careful to say it's "being treated as terrorism", "suspected terrorism", etc. It certainly makes no sense to move the article to "2017 Manchester Arena suspected terrorist attack", so until it's clearly defined as terrorism, it should stay here (or be moved to "bombing", "explosion", etc.) GorillaWarfare (talk) 04:05, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * If police are confidant enough to say they are treating it as terrorism until proven otherwise, they are calling it terrorism. They don't throw out terrorism lightly.  When they find a murder victim, they treat them as a murder victim until proven otherwise.  A robbery is a robbery until proven otherwise.  If they were being cautious, they would have described the explosion as "suspicious."  But they didn't say "suspicious," they said "terrorism."  They don't don't ever need to say anything further as they have said it is terrorism and with no evidence refuting it, their statement remains true indefinitely because the "until" conditional is never executed.  The "until" clause is a logical expression not an expression of doubt.  --DHeyward (talk) 04:33, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Move every news outlet, left, right, and center, is calling this a terrorist attack, because, it uh obviously was. "Incident" is a joke...especially at this point.   This was a deliberate bombing.   It was terrorism. (And it's not "speculation", livelikemusic.) Move now.  Thanks. 71.246.96.210 (talk) 03:35, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * So far I've yet to find a reliable source saying that it was a terrorist attack; only that the police are treating it like one until further notice. GorillaWarfare (talk) 03:38, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * The New York Times has it written as terrorism on the FRONT PAGE: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/22/world/europe/ariana-grande-manchester-police.html — Preceding unsigned comment added by DHeyward (talk • contribs) 04:33, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Nowhere does it state the front page of The Times will say it is terrorism, and again, it's speculated to be a terrorist attack, but not confirmed at this time. And please, sign your posts when you post on a talk page.   livelikemusic    talk!  03:43, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * The link above uses the word "explosion", not terrorism, in the headline.VR talk 03:45, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * The mentions to terrorism in the article are as follows: "The police suspect terrorism", "police were treating as a terrorist attack", "what appeared to be the deadliest episode of terrorism", "being treated by the police as an appalling terrorist attack", "it appeared to be a terrorist attack", "The scene immediately evoked the terrorist attacks in Paris in November 2015", "being treated as a terrorist incident". You'll note they're being very careful to say only that it's being treated as terrorism, that it's suspected terrorism, etc. We need more than that before we can jump in and label this terrorism. GorillaWarfare (talk) 03:48, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * No, we don't need more. It's descriptive, not accusatory.  As a descriptor, it is accurate and well-sourced.  It would be problematic if it were accusatory.  --DHeyward (talk) 04:38, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * You don't see "it is being treated as a terrorist attack" and "it is a terrorist attack" as two different things? GorillaWarfare (talk) 04:40, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Move. Every single news source is calling this a bombing and police are treating it as terrorism. I don't think it was a gas leak or something benign. Harizotoh9 (talk) 03:39, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * We still don't know if it is terrorism. It is treated as one, but we still don't know it. But calling it an attack (as mass media does) or just make "incident" to "explosion" is not fantasy, but a better description of what has happened. Incident is just not really neutral. It sounds like something that just happens at breakfast when you are in a rush.--Rævhuld (talk) 03:41, 23 May 2017 (UTC)


 * Move to 2017 Manchester Arena bombing or 2017 Manchester Arena explosion. I don't think anyone is calling it an "incident".VR talk 03:42, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * In these early hours "incident" is the appropriate reference, as opposed to "attack" or "bombing" as information supporting those more specific terms has not come out from official sources. Bus stop (talk) 03:43, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Bomb goes boom-boom..... what more specific info do you need to know it was a bomb??????? ANewStarWillRise (talk) 03:52, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Welcome to Wikipedia, . Here, we generally rely on reliable sources (in Wikipedia's sense of the phrase) to write and name our articles.  Many things make a "boom-boom" sound.  Guns or cannons, for example, can make that sound, though they obviously didn't in this case.  —   Gestrid  ( talk ) 05:08, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * No, calling it an explosion would be more appropriate, we know an explosion occurred. Gamebuster19901 (Talk║Contributions) 04:23, 23 May 2017 (UTC)


 * You do not seem to understand that we need official confirmation from a reliable party, a.k.a. an official statement, confirming that it was, in fact, a bomb. Everything right now is gut reaction, and not being taken at a rational thought.  livelikemusic    talk!  03:54, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Every single reliable source is calling this a bombing. Do you really think this is going to turn out to be some accident? This is making Wikipedia look absurd and taking Wikipedia policies to absurd lengths. Harizotoh9 (talk) 04:03, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * You mean this isn't an accident? An incident is not worthy of an article on Wikipedia, even if the membership have reached a consensus to redefine the word incident. I mostly just read WP these days but use of incident here has got to be the best and most disgusting joke i have seen this month. In other words, if this is only an incident then delete this article is my recommendation. delirious &amp; lost  ☯ ~hugs~ 06:31, 23 May 2017 (UTC)


 * I agree, "incident" no longer seems appropriate. --- Another Believer ( Talk ) 04:00, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Move to 2017 Manchester Arena terrorist attack. SarahSV (talk) 04:04, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * I would also support 's suggestion of 2017 Manchester Arena bombing. SarahSV (talk) 04:33, 23 May 2017 (UTC)


 * Move Rather self-explanatory considering the circumstances surrounding the explosion. Stikkyy (talk) (contributions) 04:18, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Move to 2017 Manchester Arena explosion, then to 2017 Manchester Arena bombing when bombing is confirmed. Gamebuster19901 (Talk║Contributions) 04:21, 23 May 2017 (UTC)


 * Move to 2017 Manchester Arena bombing Manchester Arena bombing Use of "terrorist attack" in the title is inconsistent with other articles on similar subjects, such as the 7 July 2005 London bombings, 2016 Brussels bombings, and 2004 Madrid train bombings. Beyond just bombings, terrorists incidents without bombs, or with a mix of various attack methods, like the November 2015 Paris attacks (which is quite similar to this incident in that it took place at a music venue), still do not include "terrorist" in the title. As there appears to be no evidence that this was anything more than a single bombing, without other reported attack methods used, in this case it seems most appropriate to use the term "bombing" in singular form, not "bombings" or "attack". Thanks. WClarke (talk) 04:22, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * I now recommend changing the title simply to Manchester Arena bombing, per Neutrality's suggestion. If you look at this template with names of many attacks in Europe in recent years, they use dates only when the attacks took place in a general location, like a city as whole (e.g. "Paris" or "Milan"), but with an attack at a specific venue or place, like the Jewish Museum of Belgium shooting or with the Charlie Hebdo shooting, the date is not mentioned, as there is no need to distinguish between other incidents in the same place or venue, as there never was previously, and there probably won't be again, an attack at Charlie Hebdo or the Jewish Museum of Belgium, as they took place at a very specfic location, and the same applies in this situation with the Manchester Arena. Thanks. WClarke (talk) 04:57, 23 May 2017 (UTC)


 * Don't move, or move to 2017 Manchester Arena explosion. "Terrorist attack" is premature Move to "2017 Manchester Arena explosion" or "2017 Manchester Arena bombing" (see threaded discussion below). GorillaWarfare (talk) 04:53, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Adding: I initially would have supported a move to "2017 Manchester Arena terrorist attacks" if authorities directly labeled it as such, but WClarke has a good point that there are many other articles on terrorist bombings that are not titled this way. Is there a guideline somewhere? Regardless, I went to look up a terrorist attack quite a bit nearer to my home turf, and found that the attack on the Boston Marathon in 2013 is titled Boston Marathon bombing. As such, I support a move to "2017 Manchester Arena explosion", or if verified by authorities as a bombing, to "2017 Manchester Arena bombing". GorillaWarfare (talk) 04:34, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Would be curious to hear your opinions on WClarke's point. GorillaWarfare (talk) 04:35, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Bombing or attack is fine with me. It needs to be more active voice than "incident."  There's an intentional act underlying it.  I'm more concerned that the target is unknown more than the act itself.  I think the terrorist bombing is well sourced but whether the target was the singer, the venue, concert goers, the train station, etc, etc.  That won't be clear until they identify the person/persons responsible.  --DHeyward (talk) 04:47, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * , I like the year–location–bombing format that WClarke pointed out, so I'd be fine with 2017 Manchester Arena bombing. SarahSV (talk) 04:48, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Cool! Glad we've found a bit of common ground. I think it's clear enough from sourcing that it's an attack or a bombing. I initially was balking at the idea of labeling it a "bombing", but it's quite clearly been labeled an "attack", so if I can accept "explosive attack" I think I can certainly accept "bombing". Striking my top-level comment above and clarify my support. GorillaWarfare (talk) 04:53, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * , thanks! SarahSV (talk) 05:47, 23 May 2017 (UTC)


 * Move to 2017 Manchester Arena bombing or 2017 Manchester Arena explosion if we cannot confirm if that it is a deliberate bombing. There definitely was an explosion so the title should reflect that. ᗞᗴᖇᑭᗅᒪᗴᖇᎢ (talk) 04:28, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Too Soon. It has not been confirmed officially that this was a terrorism. WWGB (talk) 04:33, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Move to Manchester Arena bombing. Simple, clear. No need for date. Neutralitytalk 04:34, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Don't move Labeling something prematurely can kill Wikipedia, being late has no consequence. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2601:646:8780:5d0:bd4a:4fa0:348e:d4f4 (talk)
 * Too Soon. We need further confirmation, however, I also agree with WClarke in regards to naming consistency. I would possibly support a move to a previous title of "2017 Manchester Arena Explosion" as it doesn't cause any speculation. Also, date has been present in most, if not all, similar events (ie. 2017 Westminster attack) Danielennistv (talk) 04:40, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * But in that case the date was necessary because there were multiple Westminster attacks - that's why Westminster attack is a disambig page. Here, by contrast, the name/location are unique. Neutralitytalk 04:43, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * The few people here who keep saying "this has not yet been confirmed to be terrorism" will have to admit that this has definitely been confirmed to be a bombing. And also a deliberate bombing.   So if the name of article should not be "terrorist attack", then definitely "attack" or "bombing".  But "incident" is laughable and stupid at this point, frankly speaking.  Not to mention a bit far-lefty dishonest and suppressive.   More frankly speaking.   What is the deal here, now, with this?  It's definitely (without even a smidgen of a doubt) an intentional bombing, a deliberate bomb attack.    So why is there even any more debate that the article name should at least be changed to "2017 Manchester attack"?    Or "2017 Manchester bombing"?   Regards. 71.246.96.210 (talk) 04:48, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Move to 2017 Manchester Arena bombing due to the reasons stated by User talk:71:246:96:210. Danielennistv (talk) 04:54, 23 May 2017 (UTC)


 * Move to explosion or bombing per examples by WClarke and pretty RS descriptions. Terrorist attack is premature, but really shouldn't be in the title anyway (WP:DJTG). We describe the event, not the notice, in the title.  Eve rgr een Fir  (talk) 04:55, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Move to Manchester Arena incident per User:Neutrality below. It is simply too soon to call this incident an attack - while we assume it is (and it's exceedingly likely), it has not been confirmed to be a terrorist attack. We need to report the facts, not speculation. Keira  1996  05:00, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Support 2017 Manchester Arena bombing(s), oppose 2017 Manchester Arena terrorist attacks. While it was probably a terrorist attack, there have been no confirmations of such. We should be neutral until an official confirms it was a terrorist attack. Callmemirela  🍁  &#123;Talk&#125;   &#9809;  05:11, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Move to 2017 Manchester Arena bombing in line with Boston Marathon bombing, we rarely use terrorist attack in the title, see generally List of Islamist terrorist attacks. --JumpLike23 (talk) 05:11, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Move to Manchester Arena Bombing. The "incident" title is fatuous, there is as yet no attribution of the bombing to terrorists, and "2017" is superfluous. 64.105.98.115 (talk) 05:44, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * It's an incident since it is "just but a fleshwound". 188.24.133.20 (talk) 05:55, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Far too soon to call it a "terrorist attack", that's just speculation at the moment. However, I dislike euphemisms like "incident", so I favour an immediate move to Manchester Arena explosion pending further information. --NSH001 (talk) 05:59, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Move to 2017 Manchester Arena bombing. All sources state bombing. Keep date. When people search for such events, dates are helpful.--Tallard (talk) 06:04, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * We can create a redirect with the date, so that shouldn't be an issue. Neutralitytalk 06:18, 23 May 2017 (UTC)


 * Move to Manchester Arena bombing. The year doesn't need to be said, as per WP:CONCISE because this is the only attack there. It is far more than just an incident. THE DIAZ talk • contribs 06:31, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Move to 2017 Manchester Arena bombing per User:Callmemirela. Booyahhayoob (talk) 06:54, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

Any reason to have "2017" in the title?

 * '''Oppose removing 2017 from the title since the attack occurred in 2017. Saved by God&#39;s grace (talk) 16:13, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

Is there any real reason to have "2017" in the article? As far as I know it is unnecessary. There have not been, as far as I can tell, any bombings before this year. So why 2017 Manchester Arena bombing rather than simply Manchester Arena bombing? We have WP:CONCISE titles. Neutralitytalk 04:37, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Support taking out "2017" (also see my comment above) I now recommend changing the title simply to Manchester Arena bombing, per Neutrality's suggestion. If you look at this template with names of many attacks in Europe in recent years, they use dates only when the attacks took place in a general location, like a city as whole (e.g. "Paris" or "Milan"), but with an attack at a specific venue or place, like the Jewish Museum of Belgium shooting or with the Charlie Hebdo shooting, the date is not mentioned, as there is no need to distinguish between other incidents in the same place or venue, as there never was previously, and there probably won't be again, an attack at Charlie Hebdo or the Jewish Museum of Belgium, as they took place at a very specfic location, and the same applies in this situation with the Manchester Arena. Thanks. WClarke (talk) 04:57, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Support. Removing year from the title and using "bombing" instead of incident. Per reasons above. Plus using "Incident" is not really neutral in that it uses a bland generality to describe a specific type of attack. Shearonink (talk) 05:04, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Don't care in my opinion, it doesn't really matter if the year is in it or not in this case. Gamebuster19901 (Talk║Contributions) 05:07, 23 May 2017 (UTC)


 * Keep 2017. As there is discussion above about possibly removing "Arena" and/or changing the word incident to bombing, 2017 distinguishes this week's event from 1996 Manchester bombing and 1992 Manchester bombing. --Scott Davis Talk 05:14, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Manchester Arena bombing is perfect, descriptively and syllabically. InedibleHulk (talk) 05:31, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Support Manchester Arena bombing per convention. Aiken D 05:52, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Support 2017 Manchester Arena bombing if this turns out to be a suicide bomb attack.-- ♦Ian Ma c M♦  (talk to me) 06:09, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Support Manchester Arena bombing per WP:CONCISE. Blaylockjam10 (talk) 06:13, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Move to any one of the above suggestions, just anything but calling it an "incident", it's a bombing or terrorist attack. Octoberwoodland (talk) 06:25, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Support Manchester Arena bombing  —Мандичка YO 😜 06:55, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Keep 2017. WP:CONCISE does not state any year conventions for names. The year helps with clarity, as there were prior incidents in Manchester. (albeit not in the arena) While it might seem ominous to be talking about future-proofing, that is logical another benefit. -- sarysa (talk) 16:22, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

Discussion now moot

 * This discussion is now moot as the police have confirmed that it was a bombing carried out by a male attacker who died in the blast (most likely a suicide bomber, though that isn't yet confirmed). Could someone please now carry out the move? Prioryman (talk) 06:26, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Take out "2017". There has been no other attack on the Manchester Arena, so the year isn't necessary. THE DIAZ talk • contribs 06:31, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Support 2017 Manchester bombing. The bombing didn't happen in the Arena, and didn't affect the structural integrity of the Arena. 2017 would be required to differentiate it from the 1996 Manchester bombing and 1992 Manchester bombing. Lcmortensen (mailbox) 07:01, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * ✅ -- Fuzheado &#124; Talk 07:11, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * (ec) Support 2017 in title. The police in Manchester and the BBC are currently referring to this as a "suicide attack" and that might possibly appear in the title. Agree that new title with "bombing" in place of "incident" is appropriate. Mathsci (talk) 07:13, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

Manchester Arena bombing?
I see that most have agreed to Manchester Arena bombing, leaving out the mention of "terrorist attack" or the year (2017). Can we get a consensus on this? Created this section since it seems ideas have been narrowed down to this.-- ZiaLater  ( talk  ) 07:10, 23 May 2017 (UTC)


 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on this talk page or in a move review. No further edits should be made to this section.

WP:COATRACK issue
Do we really need to place in the lead how this attack was worse than x, y, and z? - Knowledgekid87 (talk) 16:27, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Only if RS generally do it  Eve rgr een Fir  (talk) 16:35, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

Name
Hello, new editor here, I don't know your rules properly, but the police in the UK have not confirmed that name and are asking that people do not share/publish names.

SkagwayEntropy (talk) 14:52, 23 May 2017 (UTC)


 * Quite right. There were issues with the Westminster attack when the wrong name was leaked early on. Let's have a little patience. Nick Cooper (talk) 15:00, 23 May 2017 (UTC)


 * There seems to have been some confusion (in US media at least) of the attacker vs. the man arrested today. Different sections of this article has then been edited by different people at various times today to either show the name or remove it, in one or more contexts.  For what it's worth, I think we should keep the name out of the article until a) it has been officially confirmed by UK authorities (not US media or some blogging sites, etc.), and b) we can reliably distinguish between the attacker vs. the arrestee.  (Incidentally, IMO the same should apply to the claims by ISIS that they are behind this, which seems to be another hot editorial subject here today!) 93.89.131.57 (talk) 15:09, 23 May 2017 (UTC)


 * There are plenty of RS explicitly stating that the bomber was Salman Abedi, but there is no rush, and we may as well wait for an official statement from UK Police.  Quasar G  t - c 15:15, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

"The police and security services believe they know the identity of the perpetrator but at this stage of the investigations we cannot confirm his name."

- Theresa May on Manchester Arena explosion.

As the quote shows us: they believe they have him for sure, but they cannot confirm it yet. So we shouldn't include it before it is confirmed. And when it is confirmed, we should only call him a suspect because of the presumption of innocence.--Rævhuld (talk) 15:29, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * The BBC is now reporting that the name has been released by police. — Sasuke Sarutobi (talk) 16:46, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

Motive
The motive is not "terrorism". That word refers to the action, not to the ideology. The terrorist did not believe in "terrorism", he likely believed in "radical Islam" or "Islamism" or "Islamic fundamentalism".--Walsak (talk) 16:54, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * It's too early to talk about about a motive. He may well have been an Islamist wack job, but the sourcing doesn't say this right now.-- ♦Ian Ma c M♦  (talk to me) 16:56, 23 May 2017 (UTC)


 * I agree, but still, referring to it as "terrorism" is imprecise. At the very least put as "unknown" or something to that effect.Walsak (talk) 17:00, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

Type of attack
There are statements like "Investigators are trying to determine if it was a lone wolf terror attack, although the police and MI5 assume that the attacker could not have been acting alone, making it likely that the bomber was part of a terror cell." on the page. Is this really necessary? That isn't factual information. In every investigation, every avenue of inquiry is pursued. It doesn't make it any different, nor more important, to include that the police are 'investigating' just because it was a suicide bombing. Jayden (talk) 17:02, 23 May 2017 (UTC)


 * It's a bit too wordy and speculative for the WP:LEAD at the moment. It's obvious that the investigation is ongoing, and things need time to settle down.-- ♦Ian Ma c M♦  (talk to me) 17:05, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

International Reactions (2)
Do we really need to write a long list of countries who do condemn the attacks? We didn't do that at the other attacks. It think it is just a waste of resources. Normally we just generally write that leaders around the world spoke their condolences and only adding reactions that are important. I mean, the list of countries doesn't even state what has been said. Not to mention that the citation still is awful. Can't we, you know, just delete the whole section and write something like "Many world leaders offered condolences to [insert country] and the victims of the attack." If some leaders choose to ban all Muslims, start bombing ISIS or don't allow British to enter their country, that would be mention worthy reactions. But saying "I don't like terrorism" is neither informative nor relevant.--Rævhuld (talk) 14:14, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * I feel it might be worth including if other countries adopt security measures as a result of this attack. - Knowledgekid87 (talk) 14:15, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Which measures? We can write a general statement about it and if there is something special about some countries, we can add it too :-) --Rævhuld (talk) 14:18, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Sounds good, and I am talking about new things put into place or new policy adoptions things of the like. - Knowledgekid87 (talk) 14:19, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Exactly. I see someone has adopted what we said into the article. So I am happy now.--Rævhuld (talk) 14:22, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * I agree that the list is wholly unnecessary. I would've removed it wholesale if I didn't think such a change would be quickly reverted. TompaDompa (talk) 14:23, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

I don't think its excessive to list the countries in prose form. A list I would disagree with. But devoting one long sentence to all the countries is not excessive. Besides, some people will most definitely try to add something "special" about a country or too in the near future, so I do think all countries should be mentioned.VR <font color="Black">talk 14:31, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

Are reactions coming from mayors or governments bodies of sister cities of Manchester relevant to mention? Like this one from Mayor Garcetti of Los Angeles:. JoeriB92 (talk) 14:43, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * What would it take to persuade well-meaning people not to add every vacuous platitude issued by every politician or celebrity in the world, in full, in quotation marks, to this article? --John (talk) 17:01, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Amen.- MrX 17:29, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Just asking for opinions, no reason to bash. Other thing, why are Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin more important 'world reactions'? Then you can name France or Germany as well, which should not be the case. My opinion is to mention reactions that relate to the city of Manchester. Why are Trump and Putin more relevant than others? JoeriB92 (talk) 18:29, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Who bashed? I also don't think we should include reactions from Trump or Putin. - MrX 18:35, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

Thoughts and prayers
This article now has a section for international reactions that is actually a list of countries who expressed condolences. As we have with many other disaster articles, I propose leaving it out as trivial and non-encyclopedic.- MrX 12:25, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * It has been trimmed significantly, and should be spun out to a separate page (see Talk:2017_Manchester_Arena_bombing above). — xaosflux  Talk 12:28, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Suggest aggressive trimming. No need for a separate page though.  Eve rgr een Fir  (talk) 16:39, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Too late: Reactions to the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing.- MrX 18:37, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Sigh. I've given up trying to fight these pages and acknowledge that I'm outside the consensus on them. ::shrug::  Eve rgr een Fir  (talk) 18:43, 23 May 2017 (UTC)

Romania expresses sympathy
Romanian president, Klaus Iohannis, expressed on Twitter: "Outraged and saddended by the terrible news from Manchester. Our thoughts go to the victims and their loved ones. Solidarity with UK" Romanian prime-minister, Sorin Grindeanu said on Facebook: "All our thoughts go to the families of those who have lost their lives and to those injured in the Manchester explosion."
 * Every civilized country will express their thoughts and prayers. It's just not noteworthy.- MrX 12:51, 23 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Including the American reaction? NorthernThunder (talk) 19:04, 23 May 2017 (UTC)