Hundreds of people paid their respects to the victims of the Manchester Arena attack in Brighton and Hove yesterday. 

At least five vigils were held throughout the day. 

The feeling at the vigils was clear that despite the geographic divide between our cities we were united with Manchester in grief. 

Around 200 people gathered at Brighton and Hove Town Halls in the morning - followed by another 70 people in Bartholomew Square, again in the evening.

The evening vigil was organised by Brighton-based refugee support charity The Hummingbird Project.

The charity’s founder and Mancunian Elaine Ortiz said the group organised the event to show solidarity with her home city and to show the strength of the community.

Elaine said: “Some of my team and I are from the north and we are absolutely in shock with what happened.

“We felt it was a good opportunity to bring the community together and also challenge any hatred that might be directed to anyone from the black and minority ethnic community or refugee community, which often happens when these tragedies happen.”

Before the vigil started at 6.30pm a steady stream of people started to arrive in the town hall square.

One of the first people there was Sabri Benameur, the vice chairman of Brighton and Hove Muslim Forum.

The forum is an umbrella organisation representing mosques and university Islamic societies in the city.

Mr Benameur said he came to stand with his fellow citizens to condemn the attacks.

He said: “Nobody can ignore what happened.

“It was an act of terror which harms us all: Muslims, Christians and Jews.

“So we need to all stand together as one voice to condemn such an act.

“That’s why I am here to say no, this needs to stop.

“We won’t let things like this divide us or put a barrier between us and create hate.

“We’re all against this.”

Rachel Middleton, 35, of Kemp Town, arrived straight from work.

The accountant, who is due to head to Manchester for a concert on Saturday, said she was deeply moved by the tragedy.

She said: “I go to so many music events and I’ve been to the Manchester Arena so many times – it just really hit me.

“It could have been me or my friends.

“I have friend and their children in Manchester and they have all been affected by it.

“I just wanted to be here to show strength and share it with them.”

By the time the vigil started, the square was a sea of faces: of all ages, creeds and religions.

Councillor Emma Daniel, lead member for communities and equality on Brighton and Hove City Council, invited the crowd to make placards giving support to people of Manchester.

After the event she said she would post them to Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham.

Addressing the crowd, she told them to show defiance in the face of hate.

She said: “Our resolve must be to show defiant love in the face of hate.

“To refuse to stop loving, to stop dancing, to stop laughing.

“To love defiantly means also to be watchful and help people who might be targeted in the wake of this attack.”

Imam Uthman Jeewa, from Al-Medinah Mosque in Bedford Place, Brighton, stood in a white thobe and told those gathered the killing was not in the name of his religion.

He said: “On Monday night we witnessed two types of people.

“There was a lone individual who killed and his killing was not in the name of my religion.

“His misinterpretation as what he perceived to be correct was not what we regard to be what God wants from us.

“On the other hand we had people of all faith and no faiths who came together in solidarity and showed that, united, we can overcome hatred.

“If we come together and show a united front and solidarity, love will always conquer evil.”

Other speakers included incumbent Brighton Pavilion MP Caroline Lucas.

She said: “Brighton and Hove stands in solidarity with Manchester and all those standing up to terrorism in the most powerful way possible.

“By refusing to be defined by such heinous acts and by resisting those who seek to divide us.

“We stand united and we stand with everyone in our diverse communities.

“Just a stone’s throw from the Manchester Arena there is a post box. It survived an IRA terrorist attack on the city in 1996 and became a powerful symbol of defiance and strength.

“A reminder that some things can never be destroyed.”

In the spirit of this defiance, Hove school teacher Shan Wilkinson and her 13-year-old daughter, who had tried to get tickets for the London leg of Ariana Grande’s concert, said they would not stop going to concerts.

She said: “We have friends who have tickets to go and see Ariana in London and are beginning to question whether they even want to go.

“But I don’t think you can be scared.

“We have to carry on as normal because if you did show fear they would win.

“So it is all about being positive even though such a horrific incident has occurred.”

Before leading a minute's silence at Brighton Town Hall at 10.30am yesterday Council leader Warren Morgan said: "36 hours ago an act of unspeakable violence was visited on young people and their families. 

"We are here to mark their loss and stand in solidarity with those injured and in support of the public service workers who acted in unbelievable circumstances." 

At Hove Town Hall Gerard Brunt, 70, retired, from Hove, said: “It is great to see locals coming together to pay respects to those injured and killed during Monday night’s tragedy.

“All we can do now is support each other and hope that this doesn’t happen again.

“Showing we care and are resolute in remembering those lost during the attack is a token of our community."