City marks Grenfell tragedy anniversary
TRIBUTES have been paid across Glasgow to the 72 victims of the Grenfell fire. Marking the third anniversary of the tragedy, Living Rent Glasgow expressed its solidarity with the bereaved, survivors and wider community in a plea for justice.
The fire claimed 72 lives and more than 70 other people were injured.
Banners demanding justice for Grenfell appeared across the city including in the Glasgow Green, Queen’s Park and the Botanics.
In a statement Living Rent Glasgow said: “From Glasgow to Grenfell, we stand united.
“From residents still trapped in buildings covered in flammable cladding, to tenants facing a new wave of Covid-19 evictions, and the ongoing struggles against racism, justice for Grenfell remains central to all those fighting to rebuild a broken housing system.
“The wider Grenfell community has continued to march, commemorate and support one another in the face of obstruction, inaction and trauma.
“Living Rent is committed to meeting their call to ‘never forget’. Together we must fight to build real housing justice, and ensure: ‘never again.’”
The tenants’ organisation criticised the UK Government for failing to remove combustible cladding from other buildings across the UK.
The statement reads: “Three years on, the culture of contempt remains.
“The government has still failed to remove combustible cladding from 1700 country. “Throughout the Covid-19 lockdown, tens of thousands of people have been told to ‘Stay at Home’ in tower blocks that could go up in flame at any moment.”
The Prime Minister and Labour leader both marked the third anniversary of the tragedy in video messages as the commemoration moved online due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Boris Johnson said the people of Britain were with the Grenfell Tower community “in spirit”, while Sir Keir Starmer pledged to do “everything in my power” to prevent such a tragedy happening again.
Yesterday buildings three across years the since
asmall kitchen fire in the west London high-rise turned into the most deadly domestic blaze since the Second World War.
The Prime Minister also said the Government is working to implement the recommendations of the first phase of the public inquiry into the disaster.
The second phase of the inquiry was paused in March due to the pandemic and is due to restart on July 6.
With Labour estimating there are still 56,000 people living in homes wrapped in the same flammable cladding as Grenfell, Sir Keir said there had been “little justice or accountability” for what had happened.
In tribute to each victim who died in the blaze, the bells of London churches tolled 72 times and green lights glowed from tower block windows.