Grenfell, Five Years On

The 14th June 2022 marked the 5 year anniversary of the Grenfell tower fire, in which 72 people lost their lives. 5 years on, the voices of the survivors, bereaved and community continue to echo for justice.

18,000 people took part in the silent walk, whilst 72 beams of light shone down over the tower. Grenfell United sent a powerful message stating 'we are reminding those in power we are here to stay.'

A multi-faith memorial service took place and wreaths were laid by the Mayor of London and the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge among other events marking the anniversary of the tragedy, as reported by the BBC.

Former Grenfell resident Eddie Daffarn said in an interview with the BBC "what's really difficult is the fact that so little has changed in the 5 years since the fire. As we sit here today, 5 years after the fire, far too little has changed. Those with power to change, the political parties, the political people we've been dealing with have delivered incompetence and indifference towards us. Tonight as we speak, people are going to bed in buildings that are clad in exactly the same cladding as Grenfell. Disabled people who live in high rise buildings are living in exactly the same conditions as they were before June 2017. The government promised and Boris Johnson promised in October 2019 to implement all recommendations from Phase 1 of the public inquiry and he has failed to do that."

In an article published on 13th June, Pete Apps of Inside Housing asks 'Could Grenfell Happen Again?'

Tower Blocks UK were asked for their thoughts on the issue and contributed to the piece saying "We’re not in any doubt that there will be further preventable death in tower blocks. We think the government response has been inadequate and disjointed.”

“In almost every case where there has been a serious fire, including Grenfell and the 2009 fire at Lakanal House, tenants have been raising concerns in the run-up to it,” she says. “These concerns are still being raised by many people who live in social housing, and they are still struggling to get their landlords to listen and act.” Read the full article here.

(image credit: Grenfell United)