MORE than 5,000 workers, students and youth joined the Grenfell Tower fire 8th anniversary march through Ladbroke Grove, west London on Saturday.
It was the last ‘silent walk’ demonstration around the tower before its demolition begins in September and many of the demonstrators condemned the fact that it is coming down before there has been ‘justice for Grenfell’.
As the demonstration was assembling, Zoe Lagade, a local nanny, told News Line: ‘Here I am wearing my “Grenfell seven years on” T-shirt which was given to me by the organisers last year and still no justice and no sign of it.
‘I feel really strongly that we should march every month like we used to, because the fight for Justice for Grenfell is being slowly wound down and it mustn’t be, it’s got to be intensified until it is achieved.
‘We want justice, accountability and criminal charges and we have waited too long.’
Tom Loveder, an Immersive Arts student, said: ‘I’ve come up from Plymouth today to stand here with the community.
‘The fire was a national tragedy that could definitely have been avoided if people had been doing the jobs they should have been doing.
‘But they didn’t because of systemic reasons.
‘It came out in the inquiry that it was a disaster waiting to happen and there were clear warnings from residents before the fire that were ignored.
‘Also, the cladding was mis-sold nationwide.
‘They were abandoning safe practice in pursuit of profit.
‘We need socialism.’
The march assembled with a Grenfell United banner at the front, with a Palestinian flag and an Irish tricolar behind.
Most of the marchers were dressed in green and there were many beautifully designed green butterfly placards with the names of some of the 72 victims of the fire inside.
There was a placard stating: ‘8 years No Justice. Ignoring pleas for fire safety. Murderers must pay.’ Other placards on the march stated: ‘This much evidence, still no charges!’, ‘Enough is Enough!’, ‘We roll with Grenfell!’, while the North Kensington Young Socialists banner was also on the march.
Just past Ladbroke Grove Underground Station a Guard of Honour of uniformed FBU Member Firefighters stood to attention on both sides of the road, with many marchers embracing or shaking hands with them as they passed through.
Returning to the starting point, a rally was held, with Zeyed Cred from Justice for Grenfell introducing the speakers.
The first speaker was Noha Chenouf, Youth Mayor of Kensington and Chelsea who delivered a powerful rap poem which included the lines: ‘now you’re tearing down the tower to cover your tracks … we’ve got 72 reasons to be here … 72 reasons to never let this die …’
The poem received tumultuous applause lasting several minutes.
The photographs of many of those who died were displayed, while the names of the 72 victims of the fire were read out.
Then Karim, from Grenfell United said: ‘Tonight we walked to show those responsible they could not break us. Eight years on, still no justice.
‘The only change is they’ve decided to tear down the tower.
‘Now they want it gone. Out of sight out of mind – a clear skyline and a forgotten scandal.
‘As long as you seek to divide us you will always be our enemy.
‘You said never again but still across this country people live in unsafe buildings.
‘This is the legacy that grows when justice is delayed.
‘When the state is responsible justice is denied.
‘We make this promise – the legacy of Grenfell must be justice and the time for justice is now.
‘And for our 72 we will never ever stop fighting for justice, justice, JUSTICE!’
• See photo gallery
