Anti Racist Cumbria’s Post

View organization page for Anti Racist Cumbria, graphic

1,939 followers

Over the Bank Holiday whilst huge crowds were enjoying Notting Hill Carnival, in East London scenes emerged of fires at two blocks of flats. One in Dagenham, and one in Blackwall. We followed the evolving situation anxiously and whilst it seems that no one has died, several people were treated at the scene or taken to hospital. A week away from phase 2 of the Grenfell Inquiry, this was a painful reminder of the images of Grenfell on fire 7 years ago. 72 residents died when a fire ripped through the building, propelled by the cladding which was highly flammable, didn’t meet English building standards, and had failed fire tests for 12 years. Most of the people who died were from the global majority and the inquiry has consistently linked racism and classism to the fire. In 2020, a lawyer representing the bereaved families stated: "A majority of the Grenfell residents who died were people of colour. Grenfell is inextricably linked with race. It is the elephant in the room. This disaster happened in a pocket of one of the smallest yet richest boroughs in London. Yet the community affected was predominantly working-class." There is now an investigation into the causes of the fires in Dagenham and Blackwall, but we know that the building in Dagenham still had ‘non-compliant’ cladding which was in the process of being removed (BBC). 7 years on from Grenfell, many buildings still have dangerous cladding and poor fire safety. We all have a responsibility to witness this, and to engage with phase 2 of the Grenfell Inquiry as the fight for justice goes on. We join Grenfell United in calling for the Labour government to ‘speed up the remediation on unsafe buildings, where their predecessors failed’. Our thoughts are with everybody affected by the fires in Dagenham and Blackwall, and the bereaved families of Grenfell victims who are likely to have been re-traumatised by this 💚. Follow @grenfell_united for more updates on the inquiry and for ways to support.

  • Image of protestors holding up a large green banner which says: 'Grenfell: Never Again'. A white woman at the front bears a sombre expression as she holds up a green, heart shaped sign which says 'justice'. Signs held by the crowd say: 'This much evidence still no charges'.

To view or add a comment, sign in

Explore topics