UK blasts: First permanent memorial unveiled

The first permanent memorial to the 52 people killed in last month's London transit bombings went on display in Britain's capital on Saturday.

• London Blasts

There was no pomp or ceremony -- a gardener in Victoria Embankment Gardens unveiled the simple white plaque at 7:30 am. The park beside the River Thames became a temporary memorial garden after the July 7 attack, which killed 52 commuters and four suspected suicide bombers on three subway trains and a bus.

Thousands of people, including Prime Minister Tony Blair, left flowers and cards. The plaque reads, "Under this tree people of all faiths and nationalities, united in grief, laid wreaths in memory of those killed on July 7, 2005, following the attacks on London's public transport system."

It also bears a quote from London Mayor Ken Livingstone, "The city will endure -- it is the future of our world." A second quote from Westminster Council leader Simon Milton reads, "For all Londoners in our great city".

The memorial "will be a permanent reminder of those times as part of the Embankment Gardens, which is one of the city's most tranquil spots," said Robert Davis, a spokesman for the local authority, Westminster Council.

• Also read: Multiple blasts rock London