Community calls for justice eight years on from Grenfell fire
Survivors and bereaved relatives of the Grenfell Tower blaze have demanded justice following the eighth anniversary of the 2017 tragedy. The blaze left 72 people dead, including 18 children, and is still being investigated by the Metropolitan Police.In a few months' time, work will begin to take down the 23-storey block.Hundreds walked in silence through west London on Saturday evening before hearing the names of the dead and speeches by campaigners, as the tower loomed over them.
London monuments were lit up including the BT Tower and London Eye and the Crystal Palace transmitting station. In Greater Manchester Salford Civic Centre was lit green.There are concerns no-one has yet been prosecuted. Grenfell United vice chairman, Karim Mussilhy, lost his uncle in the inferno. He told the crowd: "Eight years have passed, eight years since the fire - lit by negligence, greed and institutional failure - tore through our homes, our families and our hearts."And still no justice has come. The truth is, there's almost nothing new to say because nothing has changed."As we stand here eight years on, the only decision this government has made is to tear down the tower - our home."He branded the disaster a "forgotten scandal".
"The tower has stood not just as a reminder of what happened, but of what must change - a symbol and a truth in the face of denial, of dignity in the face of power, of our resistance, of our 72 loved ones who can't fight for their own justice."And now they want it gone, out of sight out of mind, a clear skyline and a forgotten scandal."There were cries of "shame" and "justice" from the crowd.The final Grenfell Tower Inquiry report, published in September, concluded victims, bereaved and survivors were "badly failed" through incompetence, dishonesty and greed.On Sunday Kensington and Bayswater MP, Joe Powell, told the BBC's Inspirit with Jumoké Fashola: "The one thing I think everybody would agree on is that there should be criminal accountability.
"And of course we can't pre-judge how far up the food chain it will go, in terms of companies that were found culpable in the inquiry report, but that is the expectation."Leader of Kensington and Chelsea council Labour group, Kasim Ali, said he lived 500 metres (about 1,600ft) from the tower and saw "horrifying" things. He said: "My fear is that people's lives have been taken for granted and no-one cared about, let's say, communities who lived in a council-owned property, who lived in social housing. "There is stigma around it and I think they have been ignored."He said he wanted the legacy of Grenfell to be housing fit for human habitation, adding: "What we are seeking... is justice. Who is responsible for what happened to 72 members of our community that we have lost?"
News of the government's demolition decision this year was met with criticism from some bereaved and survivors of the 2017 fire who expressed upset and shock, saying they felt they had not had their views considered before the decision was taken.Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary, Angela Rayner, later said she knew meeting those most closely affected was going to be "really difficult" and that there was "not a consensus" among everyone over what should happen to the tower.On Saturday, placards read, "This much evidence still no charges" and "Tories have blood on their hands. Justice for Grenfell".Large green papier-mache hearts were held aloft, had words including "hope", "integrity", "enough is enough" and "justice" written on them.Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission has been consulting on plans for a permanent memorial of the tower, with recommendations including a "sacred space", designed to be a "peaceful place for remembering and reflecting".It is expected a planning application for it could be submitted in late 2026.
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