Thousands of people came together to remember Jo Cox on what would have been her 42nd birthday, pledging to “Love like Jo”.

Memorials were held around the world to commemorate the life of Cox after her death last Thursday. They included services in Washington DC, Dublin, Brussels, Oslo, Buenos Aires, Auckland, Syria and Beirut.

Crowds displayed uplifting images with phrases such as “More in Common” and “Love like Jo” were used for the events in response to the Labour MP’s humanitarian work during her life.

Brendan Cox, Jo’s husband, celebrated Cox’s charity work at the event in Trafalgar Square, London. He also told the crowd her killing was an “act of terror” undertaken in order to advance an “agenda of hatred towards others”.

He went on to say that Jo would have spent her birthday campaigning on the EU in order to see a Remain vote.

“Today would have been Jo’s 42nd birthday. She would have spent it dashing around the streets of her home town trying to convince people that Britain is stronger in Europe.

“She feared the consequences of Europe dividing again, hated the idea of building walls between us and worried about the dynamics that that could unleash but today isn’t about that. It’s about Jo and the much wider battle against hatred that she was engaged in.”

He added thanks to the public for the outpouring of support the family had received since her death, saying that from now the family will grieve in private.

Lily Allen, Malala Yousafzai, actors Gillian Anderson and Bill Nighy and singer Bono all addressed the crowd to pay tribute to Cox. President Obama sent a tribute saying: “We stand united – British, Americans and people around the world – to affirm that the hate and violence that took her from us are ultimately no match for the love and compassion that she spread in her life.”

The Batley service also thanked Bernard Kenny, who had been stabbed in the stomach when going to Cox’s aid, and who shared a birthday with the MP.