Local residents and activists recently marched in remembrance of the Grenfell tragedy that took place two years ago. We need to continue fighting together for justice.
It is a beautiful day in North Kensington, on 14th June 2019. Sun passes through the trees, adorning the space where thousands gather. Those who come wear green, marking the second anniversary of the tragic events of two years earlier.
The event – organised by local campaign group Grenfell United – starts with prayers, speeches reminding us of the solidarity, love, and giving of the community, and beautiful performances by a young choir and survivor Leanne Mya.
It is notable that not much political is said at this point. There are a lack of speeches about the injustices and practises that led to the Grenfell fire. The focus is on respecting and remembering those who were lost.
It is hard to see how many people occupy the streets. Hand-crafted green hearts and signs reading ‘Justice for Grenfell’ obscure a crowd of families, activists, local residents, and others.
There are enough in the streets that the gathering can only start moving in waves. Large screens reflect the diverse gathering. Those walking are recorded passing by the speech stands in front of Notting Hill Methodist Church, the gathering point for the walk. It is a surreal and serious spectacle.
Amongst the crowds, silence feels like a meditation on the reality of the losses and results of neglect on this community. The silence itself is potent and powerful during the walk. As time passes, it seems those marching together are more aware of each other’s presence and their strength together, as they occupy the built up streets around Grenfell.
By the end of the walk it has been many hours since real political speeches have been made. But given the call people are ready to break the silence. Words rang true that night. “This was no accident”; “having a safe home should be a human right”.
Powerful speeches by the likes of artists Akala and Lowkey roused some of those gathered to the political realities of the situation – the need to “challenge the system” and the “philosophy” that lead to this disaster, as Akala said. “Does it have to get more serious before this happens.”
Tories out of touch
As people left the walk, they occupied the streets around the Grenfell estate. This was a faint reminder of the vital actions and organisation of the working class in these areas following June 14th 2017.
Profiteering, austerity, and cost-cutting practises by the local council propagated this tragedy. Yet they had no organised presence after the event. It was the local people themselves that came together. For days after the fire, Theresa May failed to meet the communities that were embroiled in this catastrophe.
The government has a disgraceful record when it comes to providing support for the families affected by Grenfell. Their lack of action in regards to dangerous cladding was shown during recent PMQ’s. May lamented that landlords have not “acted as expected” to remove cladding and that “the pain will be with those families affected forever”.
It is clear to anyone with eyes that this Tory government is totally out of touch. They are seeking only to control the fallout from Grenfell. They offer pitiful words of regret and remorse, but the truth is that they have sought to represent the interests of the few and squeeze the many, with devastating consequences.
Guilty parties
Investors in the US have launched a class action suit against Arconic Inc, the company that produced the unsafe Reynobond PE panelling used in Grenfell’s cladding. They are suing over the loss of profits incurred since the fire.
The whole business is despicable. What is worse, this has implications for future criminal investigations. The judge threw out the case, clearing Arconic of wrongdoing. They said the company did not deceive anyone about the product it sold, and therefore is not liable to pay damages.
It must also be asked: why is such a dangerous product even produced? How did it find its way onto so many high-rise buildings? They targeted sales to a local authority that was completely non-compliant regarding fire safety standards. The cladding spread the fire, and the rain screening blocked hydrants from extinguishing the combustible core.
As we have seen in the inquiry, all the guilty parties wish to shift blame elsewhere. The justice system under capitalism only delivers justice to its own class. It is severe towards the working class, yet it barely touches the rich. Arconic can wriggle its way out of being sued, yet a Grenfell activist who expresses justifiable frustration is jailed.
The law is like a spider’s web: the poor get caught in it, whilst the rich and powerful tear through it. But this doesn’t go unnoticed. Arconic’s offices in Sheffield faced angry protests recently. These were organised by the hip-hop artist Lowkey.
Fight for justice
It is two years since Grenfell, and yet still there is no justice. The profit-oriented system – which has led to neglect and attacks on the working class – continues. A housing crisis continues. The tower’s original tenants remain unhoused. And flammable materials remain in use in schools, hospitals and homes throughout the country.
It is clear that change must be fought for. We must stand with the Grenfell community. We must fight a mass campaign to make these buildings safe. But we must also kick the Tories out of office so that we can begin building the safe housing that people desperately need.
We must fight until all dangerous cladding is removed. Those affected by these continuing problems should demand real change, making their voices heard through rent strikes. They must be backed by the full weight of the labour movement, including the unions and the Labour Party. Only a socialist alternative can support the needs of the many and prevent future tragedies.
