The Week on Twitter | Brussels Attacks, 1916, and Twitter’s 10th Birthday
This week, Twitter witnessed Belgium suffer a devastating terrorist attack in the country’s capital, leaving 31 people dead and hundreds injured. We also prepared ourselves for the Easter centenary, got a bit tired of Roddy Doyle and celebrated Twitter’s 10th birthday.
Belgium declares three days of mourning following coordinated attacks #BrusselsAttacks
On Tuesday morning, three separate nail bombs were set off in Brussels – two in the city’s airport and one in Maelbeek metro station. The bombings took the lives of 34 people, including three suicide bombers, and left over 300 injured. Following the attacks, the Belgian government raised the country’s terror alert to the highest possible level, and announced three days of national mourning.
Authorities are calling the bombing the deadliest terrorist attack to have ever occurred in Belgium.
https://twitter.com/Finleymariex/status/712384014783537154
https://twitter.com/stacey_anne84/status/712299496462491648
This week: #Brussels in Mourning https://t.co/XBucnY7nEm via @rtenews pic.twitter.com/gfpj6mq6qU
— RTÉ (@rte) March 25, 2016
"Love one another."
People in #Brussels pay tribute to the victims of Tuesday's deadly attacks. pic.twitter.com/19cYFCXdRR
— AJ+ (@ajplus) March 23, 2016
The aftermath of the attack saw all of the city’s public transport grind to a halt, as people were advised to seek immediate shelter and contact their loved ones through text or social media. The hashtags #OpenHouse and #IkWilHelpen (I will help) were used by those offering a place for people to spend the night who had no safe way to return home.
If someone is lost near #Flagey I can help with some hot chocolate, wifi and comfort. #OpenHouse #Brussels #Schuman #Zaventem
— Axelle Minne (@axellemnn) March 22, 2016
For safe place in #Brussels : #OpenHouse use with caution | no address in tweets | only in DM | go to the closest https://t.co/Gp7AHrjVKv
— Le Monolecte (@Monolecte) March 22, 2016
In Matonge for anyone who needs a safe place. #OpenHouse
— Brook duBois (@BrookduBois) March 22, 2016
We are located right next to Leuven station and happy to share warmth, coffee and love whoever needs it most. #openhouse #brusselsattack
— madewithlove (@madewithlove) March 22, 2016
Ireland gets ready for the #1916 centenary weekend #Easter #Rising
It’s Easter this week, which means it’s been a whole 100 years since the 1916 Rising (or 99 years and 11 months if you take into consideration that the 1916 Rising actually occurred on April 24th because Easter is weird and constantly changing and just super early this year for whatever reason, but this weekend is when we’re marking it, so it’s grand).
There are many events on this weekend that you can go to to commemorate the men and women who died fighting for Ireland. Here’s a list of 50 of them. They include a big commemoration parade, a laying of a wreath, a talk about suffrage in the early 20th century, a reading of the proclamation, a tented village in Stephen’s Green, and lots and lots of exhibitions.
It’ll be a big weekend, and lots of people are looking forward to it. Some other people aren’t looking forward to it that much because O’Connell’s Street is closed, and town will be packed, and there’s no luas and stuff. All of those people are tweeting about it.
Dublin's G.P.O in 1916. pic.twitter.com/rd3D01D4pU
— Photos of Dublin (@PhotosOfDublin) March 25, 2016
Shockingly, no craft beer company would take me up on my 1916 special 'Cathal's Brewa' pale ale. #rtept
— Colm Tobin (@colmtobin) March 23, 2016
Also, & I'm getting off Twitter now, but why nobody's set up a 1916-themed body piercing studio called Padraig Pierces is beyond me. #rtept
— Colm Tobin (@colmtobin) March 23, 2016
2017 can't come fast enough. pic.twitter.com/WrQIBnsts4
— Aifric (@aifreckle) March 25, 2016
Now That's What I Call A Rising : 1916
— Adam (@RummHammm) March 21, 2016
I see the #Luas drivers are going on strike over the Easter weekend. Was it for this that men like Connolly died?
— Adrian Cummins (@adriancummins) March 24, 2016
https://twitter.com/daithihartery/status/713065407255592960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
#RoddyDoyle‘s Two Pints posts go too far for some…
Roddy Doyle is a good man. He’s been around for a long time, and he’s given us lots of great things like The Commitments, The Snapper, The Giggler Treatment, and The Van. As of late, he’s also given us a lot of Facebook posts in the form of his Two Pints series, which sees two fellas sit down with two pints to have a bit of a conversation about an event that just happened in the world. It could be the death of the beloved celebrity, the tragic loss of a prominent cultural figure, or even just a bit of dodgy weather we’ve been having.
This week, Roddy wrote about the terrorist attacks in Brussels, and lots of people were not happy. Then, Roddy proceeded to include the tragic deaths of the family who drowned in Donegal to this post about the terrorist attacks in Brussels, and people were even less happy.
You know Roddy Doyle is in trouble when even Lovin Dublin have tired of his shtick pic.twitter.com/Gm44JS0wcm
— Dave McGinn (@davemcginn_ie) March 24, 2016
Spare a thought for Roddy Doyle, furiously bashing out some witty dialogue currently with a stock photo of Guinness ready to go.
— Ciara (@Ciara_Knight) January 31, 2016
https://twitter.com/anniewestdotcom/status/712611524767035393
Others were less annoyed by Roddy’s post, and more annoyed at those who were annoyed at the post in the first place. Those people took to twitter to express their outrage, and tweet their support for Roddy.
What did Roddy Doyle do? Bomb anyone? Push people off a pier? KILL HI – oh wait, he just wrote a Facebook post that some people disliked.
— Peter McGuire (@PeterMcGuireIE) March 23, 2016
https://twitter.com/HollyShortall/status/712927292356472832
People need to stop complaining about Roddy Doyle posting on facebook. What are they doing with their lives thats so great?
— Greg Johnston (@FurioussG) March 24, 2016
Twitter turns 10 #LoveTwitter
This week, Twitter turned 10 years old. That’s a whole decade since Jack sent the first ‘just setting up my twttr’ tweet, since all the cool people left Facebook forever, and since we all lost a good chunk of our lives to the internet but for the best possible reason.
#LoveTwitter trended to mark the occasion. People filled it with all the reasons why Twitter meant lots to them. Those reasons included boredom alleviation, meeting new people, learning new things, keeping super up to date with news, using RTs to determine your self-worth, fighting MRAs, celebrities replying to you sometimes, and lots of other things too.
Here are some of them.
https://twitter.com/twitter/status/711658625924620288
Thank you @twitter for giving me a place to talk with my fans! Happy 10 years! #LoveTwitter #lovemyfans
— Lionel Richie (@LionelRichie) March 22, 2016
And thank you @kanyewest for always being so Kanye! #LoveTwitter https://t.co/jW4e6OHyfu
— jack (@jack) March 21, 2016
https://twitter.com/dog_rates/status/711973066037972992
https://twitter.com/KeithMallender/status/711959841179377664
#LoveTwitter because in 140 characters we can share tales of tragedy, solidarity and resolve for change
— Abortion Rights IE (@freesafelegal) March 21, 2016