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Thousands of Londoners have gathered in Soho tonight in an incredible tribute to the 49 people killed by a gunman at an Orlando gay nightclub.

The mass vigil was held in solidarity with the victims of the Pulse nightclub massacre, carried out by gunman Omar Mateen, who pledged allegiance to ISIS.

Tonight's event saw bars in Old Compton Street temporarily stop serving drinks while people gathered outside to link arms and pay their respects to the victims.

Many people in the crowd carried rainbow flags while others held up a sign with the message: "Love wins".

Around 2,500 people had suggested they would attend the event and pictures from the scene showed the street completely packed out.

And at 7pm, the entire street fell silent in tribute, before applause broke out and 49 balloons were released into the air.

A chant also went up from the crowd, who shouted: "We're here, we're queer, we will not live in fear."

Londoner Matt Stokes, 23, told the Standard: "There was a sudden, very moving wave of silence which went over the whole crowd.

"Some people were in tears and there were lots of people consoling each other which was very moving too.

"Then there was a massive round of applause and whooping from eveyone.

"Out of such terrible sadness there was such a sense of solidarity which I think isn't something we experience that often."

Soho vigil for the victims of Orlando massacre 11 show all Soho vigil for the victims of Orlando massacre 1/11 Vigil: Thousands of people have filled Old Compton Street Charlie Banks 2/11 Vigil: Hundreds have gathered in Soho @MarkMcBW 3/11 Crowds of people outside the Admiral Duncan pub Simon Rodgers 4/11 A woman kneels over graffiti during the Soho vigil Reuters/Dylan Martinez 5/11 People light candles at St Anne's church Reuters/Dylan Martinez 6/11 Nigel Howard 7/11 Nigel Howard 8/11 Nigel Howard 9/11 Nigel Howard 10/11 Nigel Howard 11/11 Nigel Howard 1/11 Vigil: Thousands of people have filled Old Compton Street Charlie Banks 2/11 Vigil: Hundreds have gathered in Soho @MarkMcBW 3/11 Crowds of people outside the Admiral Duncan pub Simon Rodgers 4/11 A woman kneels over graffiti during the Soho vigil Reuters/Dylan Martinez 5/11 People light candles at St Anne's church Reuters/Dylan Martinez 6/11 Nigel Howard 7/11 Nigel Howard 8/11 Nigel Howard 9/11 Nigel Howard 10/11 Nigel Howard 11/11 Nigel Howard

He said: "Yesterday shocked me, shocked everyone and it's a real stark reminder that homophobia still persists and is alive and well in societies like ours and the US."

Neelam Rose from the Muslim Women's Network UK said many muslims "gay or straight" had attended the vigil.

She told London Live: "We share our thoughts, our prayers, our solidarity, with the families who have lost someone.

"Our solidarity is with the LGBT community wherever in the world and we'll fight against homophobia together."

Zainab Juma tweeted: "In what must be the first time since the nail bombing in 99, Soho just went completely silent. Incredible moment."

And Liz Laurence wrote: "Touching tribute in Soho with a minute of silence then 5 minutes of clapping before a rainbow of balloons launched into the air."

Louise Rynsard tweeted: "Soho is showing this evening why solidarity and hope conquer fear."

Orlando shooting victims 49 show all Orlando shooting victims 1/49 Stanley Almodovar III Facebook 2/49 Edward Sotomayor Jr Facebook 3/49 Luis S Vielma 4/49 Amanda Alvear Facebook/AP 5/49 Luis Daniel Conde Facebook/AP 6/49 Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera Facebook/Reuters 7/49 Juan Ramon Guerrero 8/49 Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo, 20 9/49 Mercedez Marisol Flores Facebook/AP 10/49 Peter O Gonzalez-Cruz, 22 Facebook 11/49 Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez Facebook/AP 12/49 Franky Jimmy Dejesus Velazquez Facebook/AP 13/49 Frank Hernandez Facebook/AP 14/49 Angel L. Candelario-Padro Facebook/AP 15/49 Rodolfo Ayala-Ayala Facebook/AP 16/49 Jonathan Antonio Camuy Vega Facebook/AP 17/49 Tevin Eugene Crosby Facebook/AP 18/49 Enrique L. Rios, Jr Facebook/AP 19/49 Kimberly Morris Facebook/AP 20/49 Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon Facebook/AP 21/49 Jean Carlos Mendez Perez Facebook 22/49 Jason Benjamin Josaphat Facebook/AP 23/49 Antonio Davon Brown Facebook/AP 24/49 Oscar A Aracena-Montero Facebook/AP 25/49 Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosad Facebook/AP 26/49 Leroy Valentin Fernandez Facebook 27/49 Simon Adrian Carrillo Fernandez Facebook/AP 28/49 Eddie Justice Facebook 29/49 Christopher Andrew Leinonen Facebook/AP 30/49 Shane Evan Tomlinson Facebook/AP 31/49 Darryl Roman Burt II Facebook/AP 32/49 Martin Benitez Torres Facebook/AP 33/49 Juan P. Rivera Velazquez Facebook/AP 34/49 Javier Jorge-Reyes Facebook/AP 35/49 Miguel Angel Honorato Jose Honorato/AP 36/49 Brenda Lee Marquez McCool Facebook 37/49 Anthony Luis Laureano Disla Anthony Laureano/Reuters 38/49 Deonka Drayton worked at Pulse Facebook 39/49 Akyra Murray Facebook 40/49 Jean C. Nives Rodriguez Facebook 41/49 Joel Rayon Paniagua Facebook 42/49 Alejandro Barrios Martinez Facebook 43/49 Juan Chevez-Martinez Facebook 44/49 Yilmary Rodriguez Solivan Facebook/AP 45/49 Jerald Arthur Wright Facebook/AP 46/49 Paul Terrell Henry Facebook/AP 47/49 Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz Facebook 48/49 Geraldo Ortiz-Jimenez Facebook 49/49 Composite of Orlando shooting victims. AP 1/49 Stanley Almodovar III Facebook 2/49 Edward Sotomayor Jr Facebook 3/49 Luis S Vielma 4/49 Amanda Alvear Facebook/AP 5/49 Luis Daniel Conde Facebook/AP 6/49 Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera Facebook/Reuters 7/49 Juan Ramon Guerrero 8/49 Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo, 20 9/49 Mercedez Marisol Flores Facebook/AP 10/49 Peter O Gonzalez-Cruz, 22 Facebook 11/49 Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez Facebook/AP 12/49 Franky Jimmy Dejesus Velazquez Facebook/AP 13/49 Frank Hernandez Facebook/AP 14/49 Angel L. Candelario-Padro Facebook/AP 15/49 Rodolfo Ayala-Ayala Facebook/AP 16/49 Jonathan Antonio Camuy Vega Facebook/AP 17/49 Tevin Eugene Crosby Facebook/AP 18/49 Enrique L. Rios, Jr Facebook/AP 19/49 Kimberly Morris Facebook/AP 20/49 Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon Facebook/AP 21/49 Jean Carlos Mendez Perez Facebook 22/49 Jason Benjamin Josaphat Facebook/AP 23/49 Antonio Davon Brown Facebook/AP 24/49 Oscar A Aracena-Montero Facebook/AP 25/49 Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosad Facebook/AP 26/49 Leroy Valentin Fernandez Facebook 27/49 Simon Adrian Carrillo Fernandez Facebook/AP 28/49 Eddie Justice Facebook 29/49 Christopher Andrew Leinonen Facebook/AP 30/49 Shane Evan Tomlinson Facebook/AP 31/49 Darryl Roman Burt II Facebook/AP 32/49 Martin Benitez Torres Facebook/AP 33/49 Juan P. Rivera Velazquez Facebook/AP 34/49 Javier Jorge-Reyes Facebook/AP 35/49 Miguel Angel Honorato Jose Honorato/AP 36/49 Brenda Lee Marquez McCool Facebook 37/49 Anthony Luis Laureano Disla Anthony Laureano/Reuters 38/49 Deonka Drayton worked at Pulse Facebook 39/49 Akyra Murray Facebook 40/49 Jean C. Nives Rodriguez Facebook 41/49 Joel Rayon Paniagua Facebook 42/49 Alejandro Barrios Martinez Facebook 43/49 Juan Chevez-Martinez Facebook 44/49 Yilmary Rodriguez Solivan Facebook/AP 45/49 Jerald Arthur Wright Facebook/AP 46/49 Paul Terrell Henry Facebook/AP 47/49 Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz Facebook 48/49 Geraldo Ortiz-Jimenez Facebook 49/49 Composite of Orlando shooting victims. AP

Among those expected to attend was journalist Owen Jones, who walked out of a Sky News programme last night, accusing the presenter of failing to acknowledge the murders were a homophobic hate crime.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, who said today that London stands "shoulder to shoulder with the people of Orlando", also joined the gathering, with Education Secretary Nicky Morgan and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also in attendence.

Mr Corbyn said: "Extraordinary turnout of people showing their solidarity against this awful crime and there is an amazing sense of coming together and unity here in London tonight indeed as it is all over the world.

"We have to live in a society where homophobic hate crime is a thing of the past and the deaths that happened in Orlando are a sign of something deeply awful.

"We're here in Old Compton Street because of what happened here and it's that sense of solidarity that we've got.

"Love, in the end, defeats this crime, because it's stronger."