Militants hijack inferno protest
Hard-left activists accused of exploiting the grief of Grenfell Tower families as demonstrations turn ugly
SUPPORTERS of Jeremy Corbyn were accused of exploiting the grief of Grenfell Tower residents, as despair spilled into angry protests last night.
Left-wing militants stormed Kensington Town Hall after a protest march that was organised by a backer of the Labour leader who was once arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences. An angry crowd briefly stormed into the council building and one man wearing a suit was set upon as he left the offices.
In a separate demonstration, Theresa May found herself besieged inside a church where she had gone to meet survivors of the inferno.
As her car drove off, it was chased by a furious crowd of local residents, some shouting “murderer”.
Last night, hundreds of protesters converged on Downing Street, some carrying Socialist Worker placards that read: “Tories have blood on their hands. Justice for Grenfell” and demanding the Prime Minister resign.
Boris Johnson, the Foreign Secretary, accused Labour of politicising the tragedy, in which 30 people were yesterday confirmed dead, with the number of fatalities likely to at least double.
Mr Johnson posted on Facebook: “There has sadly been some political game-playing about the terrible fire in London. I find it unbelievable that Labour are suggesting this tragedy was somehow caused by fire service cuts.”
He added: “Any attack on emergency services’ performance is outrageous politicking by Labour.”
The protests come at a time when Mrs May is struggling to assert her authority in Downing Street. Her failure to secure a majority in the General Election a week ago has been compounded by her seeming inability to engage with victims in the Grenfell Tower disaster. Michael Portillo, the former Kensington and Chelsea MP, said she had failed to “use her humanity”. The protest march on the council offices in Kensington was organised by Mustafa al-mansur, a former spokesman at Finsbury Park mosque in Mr Corbyn’s Islington constituency, and a leading Muslim community leader. Mr Mansur was arrested 10 years ago by the Metropolitan Police on suspicion of terrorism offences. He was subsequently released without charge and later claimed he had been detained because his fingerprints had been found on a book belonging to a Bosnian associate about improvised explosive devices. He strongly denied any wrongdoing.
Mr Mansur, who lives in north London, had organised the protest on Facebook, claiming the media had been “muzzled to not release actual death toll numbers to prevent public furore and outcry” and that more than 100 bodies had been taken to one hospital alone.
That chimed with “fake news” postings on a pro-corbyn internet blog that falsely claimed “D-notices” had been issued banning the media from reporting “the real number of deaths in the blaze”. Mr Mansur said he had been prompted to organise the march because his friend Rania Ibrahim and her two children, aged five and seven, had been killed in the fire.
A gang of about 30 youths, wearing hooded tops, appeared to try to break into the council’s offices. When rumours spread that Conservative councillors were leaving via a back door, the group then raced around to a side entrance and a number of young men set upon a man in a suit, who looked deeply shocked.
Mr Mansur, who had appealed for calm, said: “The people did not force their way into the building – they walked in. They were not happy with what they heard. They said let’s get the senior executives and get them down. But the police, in high-vis jackets, came storming into the building. When they came in, that’s when the pushing and
jostling started. There are probably fringe elements that are not connected. There was some violence. But the majority of people are genuine and demand that the council listen to them.”
Many of those at the protest were not from the local area but said they had come along to support those affected.
Caroline Hill, 39, from Brixton, south London, brought a placard with ‘Justice For Grenfell” written in red letters. She said: “The authorities have a great disconnect with the job they are supposed to do. They are lining their pockets and supporting profit over people.”
Dotted throughout the crowd were organisers for the Socialist Party, who carried donation boxes and clipboards as they attempted to sign up members.
Others carried placards with the words “Defy Tory Rule” and “Kick Theresa May out!” emblazoned upon them.
Jack Ivens said he had signed up three people to the Socialist Party cause, adding he was there on behalf of a “campaigning organisation” rallying behind those affected by the disaster.
News of Mrs May’s appearance at St Clement’s Church, close to Grenfell Tower, spread quickly, infuriating local residents. Mrs May spent about 40 minutes inside the church by which time a large crowd of local residents had gathered to shout her down.
Police were forced to form a barricade around the Prime Minister’s Range Rover as around 70 people ran at the car, with some reaching it fast enough to bang on the windows. Latif Sheeda, who was among the crowd who ran after the Prime Minister’s car, said: “She shouldn’t have come. Jeremy Corbyn came here. Even if it was a political move, he still mingled with the people, he still answered questions.”