Far-left activists in bid to hijack Grenfell

Fire victims hit out at rabble rousers trying to exploit blaze

RELATIVES of Grenfell Tower victims yesterday accused far-Left rabble-rousers of exploiting the disaster for political gain.

They believe the self-appointed activists have no connection with those who are still grieving the loss of 71 lives in one of Britain’s worst fires.

Survivors have also distanced themselves from a militant group that claims the death toll was far higher. They say the disaster has become a magnet for fringe political groups with axes to grind.

A small group of demonstrators used the resumption of the Grenfell Inquiry to protest about a variety of different causes yesterday.

Several members of the Revolutionary Communist Group used it to campaign against the privatisation of social housing.

And a prominent group called Justice4Grenfell reiterated its belief that up to 200 people died in the fire – despite official figures to the contrary.

The group, which claims to represent the interests of survivors and the bereaved, has been accused of treating the tower ‘like a piece of meat’.

Ahmed Chellat, 60, told the Mail: ‘I’ve lost members of my family, I lost my brother-in-law, his wife and their three children.

‘I started out being a community worker, I started out as someone who wanted justice. I wanted to find out why it happened and to prevent it from happening again.

‘But then I discovered that groups were going their different ways and now I’m fighting on my own for justice. It’s ridiculous, nobody is listening and there’s nothing we can do.’

The retired translator added: ‘I’m watching from afar, I’m not part of any group because they don’t have the ability to change. Even if they are part of the community they have no connection with what’s going on.’

Sid-Ali Atmani, who escaped from the 15th floor, told the Times he did not want to be associated with Justice4Grenfell. ‘That’s nothing to do with us,’ he said.

‘I don’t want somebody to fight for me. A lot of people are trying to make it political. It’s wrong. Please don’t use our name. We are dignified people.’

Edward Daffarn, 55, who lived on the 16th floor and wrote a blog predicting a catastrophic blaze, said: ‘This tragedy is being used as a focus for people discontented with lots of things and is also being used as a vehicle for other people who are discontented to pounce on.

‘All this is a disservice to everybody who perished in that fire and everybody who had to run away to avoid being burnt to death.’

A spokesman for Justice4Grenfell said the group had been refused permission to be a ‘core participant’ at the judge-led inquiry.

That status would have allowed it to see paperwork, make statements, question witnesses and apply for money for legal advice.

The group had angered locals by registering Justice4Grenfell at Companies House and on the internet five days after the fire. It has described inquiry judge Sir Martin Moore-Bick, 71, as a ‘social cleansing judge’ and ‘out of touch’. It has claimed the number of deaths was ‘considered by many in the local community to be closer to 200’.

Three months ago a spokesman said: ‘There is an increasing sense that a serious, concerted cover-up is going on.’

Last month police debunked conspiracy theories by announcing the official Grenfell death toll was 71. Commander Stuart Cundy said: ‘Why on earth would we want to be covering any of this up?’

The inferno, which started during the early hours of June 14 and spread up the 24-storey tower block within minutes, was followed by angry protests and allegations of a cover-up.

Survivors have sidelined some of the hard-Left protesters by creating a WhatsApp messaging group called Grenfell United. Kensington and Chelsea council has given the group the use of one floor at a friends and family centre.

Grenfell families yesterday told the official inquiry they wanted it to focus on the decision by emergency workers to tell them to ‘stay put’ and await rescue. A preliminary report has been delayed until next autumn but lawyers for the bereaved and those left homeless yesterday urged Sir Martin to press ahead with hearing evidence as soon as possible.

Survivors say many of those killed could have escaped had they ignored the controversial advice to stay in their flats inside the burning block.

They have also threatened to boycott the public inquiry amid anger that Sir Martin has rejected calls to appoint advisers from the local community, or to widen the scope of his probe.

‘People are trying to make it political’