Hillsborough vigil: Vindicated city remembers victims and pays tribute to families’ 27 year fight for justice

Mayor tells families that the city of Liverpool thanks them for their ‘dignity, tenacity and determination never to give up’

Tributes including flowers and scarfs lay below candles on the steps of St George's Hall (Getty Images)

The people of Liverpool gathered in their thousands to remember the 96 Hillsborough victims on a night when an entire city paid tribute to their families’ 27 year fight for justice.

Football supporters wearing scarves, city workers in suits, children and elderly pensioners stood together in the bitter cold outside St George’s Hall for a vigil to mark their decades-long battle. And their triumph.

The gathering came a day after the Hillsborough inquests ruled, finally, that their loved ones were unlawfully killed and cleared fans of any blame for the disaster.

The crowd cheered and applauded as the families of the 96, including a woman carrying a baby, walked onto the steps of the hall waving and with broad smiles on their faces.

Thousands of people then broke out in a spontaneous singing of an Anfield anthem: “For the 96, Justice.”

Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson told the families that the city of Liverpool thanked them for their “dignity, tenacity and determination never to give up”.

He said: “You’re an inspiration, not just to this city, but to everyone who is fighting injustice.”

Mr Anderson said the city of Liverpool had long been “tarnished” over the disaster”.

There were boos when he mentioned the name of former editor of The Sun, Kelvin McKenzie, and South Yorkshire Police.

Mr Anderson hit out at The Sun and the “gutter press” and said Hillsborough had been the “biggest cover up in British history”.

Kenny Dalglish, the football club's manager at the time of the disaster, gives a speech (Getty)

He said: “As people lay dying on the pitch, the lies began. As the city mourned, the lies came out.

“The fans who acted so heroically were accused of picking pockets, of attacking the police.”

He said the truth had finally come out at the inquests and added: “The wall of lies has finally been torn down.”

“Yesterday, has given us what we have known for 27 years,” he added. “Truth and justice.”

Former Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish read a poem and the shadow Home Secretary Andy Burnham, who has long backed the campaign and had earlier in the day been in the House of Commons to demand the resignation of South Yorkshire Police’s Chief Constable, led the reading out of the names of the 96.

Margret Aspinall, one of the most prominent Hillsborough campaigners, vowed to fight for justice to now be served (EPA)

Margaret Aspinall, whose son James died at Hillsborough, said: “We as families are very proud of what you have done to help us. It’s not just us, its justice for the fans and our city.”

She said the campaigners would keep fighting to ensure that prosecutions would now take place so that justice could finally be served.

To huge cheers she added: “This has not just been about the families, about the 96, we’ve done this together because we are Merseysiders.

“I’m proud to be a Scouser among every one of you. Thank you all so much for everything you have done for all of us over 27 years. Thank you so much.”

The vigil came to an end when the crowds outside the hall held football scarves aloft and sang an emotional rendition of “You’ll Never Walk Alone”.

'You'll never walk alone' is sung by the thousands gathered at Saint George's Hall (Getty)

As the final words of the song still echoed through the streets, they cheered and clapped before drifting off to their homes.

Liverpool fan Jay Powell, who was among those in the crowd, broke down tears as he said: “I’m proud to be from Liverpool.

“I’m proud of everything we have been through. Hillsborough affected all of us, everyone in the city.”

Some relatives of the Hillsborough victims had earlier walked among the crowd, looking at the hundreds of floral tributes that had been left on the steps of the hall.

Debbie Matthews, whose brother Brian died in disaster, told The Independent: “It’s very comforting to be here tonight. We just want to say thank you to the people of Liverpool and to the fans who have supported us for 27 years.”