Silent walk as Grenfell United seeks more action ‘in the pursuit of justice’
The gathering will take place on the four-and-a-half year anniversary of the fire, which claimed the lives of 72 people.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Survivors and the bereaved of the Grenfell Tower fire will take part in a silent walk in memory of their loved ones and in a call for justice more than four years on from the deadly blaze.
People will gather at Kensington Town Hall in west London on Tuesday evening, before walking to the base of the burnt-out block of flats.
It marks four-and-a-half years since the disaster, and is the first time in 18 months such a gathering has taken place, campaign group Grenfell United said.
The walk comes exactly a week after the Government apologised as part of the public inquiry into the fire, for past failures in oversight of the system regulating safety within the construction industry and the supervision of building control bodies.
A lawyer representing the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities told a hearing that mistakes and missed opportunities to learn from previous fires created the environment for the blaze to happen.
Phase two of the inquiry is examining how the tower came to be coated in flammable materials that contributed to the spread of flames, which shot up the building in June 2017, killing 72 people.
Module six of the second phase is concerned with building regulations and the published guidance on fire safety, including detailed consideration of Government policy in this area.
The inquiry has previously heard from a lawyer for the families of survivors and relatives of the bereaved who stated that the fire occurred partly as a result of an “unbridled passion for deregulation”, with a desire to boost housing construction having led to the industry being allowed to exploit regulations.
The walk also comes a week after Mercedes ended its controversial sponsorship deal with Kingspan, saying it was “not appropriate” to continue the partnership.
Kingspan’s logo appeared on the helmet of Lewis Hamilton at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, sparking protests due to the use of Kingspan products in the tower.
Grenfell United said it would be calling for “additional actions in the pursuit of justice” as well as its continued call for “truth and change”, adding that it would reveal the new actions on the night of the walk.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.