Edinburgh’s 6th anniversary of the Grenfell Tower tragedy took place on the Mound precinct on June 14, 2023. Organised by Edinburgh TUC and compered by Ian Mullen, branch health and safety officer.
Ian’s opening remarks recalled how he watched the fire on the news, seeing the fire service and members of the local community entering the tower in an attempt to get tenants out. He highlighted his anger at the Tory Government that have held no one to account, including the management committee of the tower who saved £300k by reducing the standard of fire safety cladding placed on the outside of the tower block. 74 innocent people died in the inferno and yet the Tory’s have the audacity to blame the fire service. The survivors and their families deserve justice.
Speaking at the memorial Laura Jackman (Chair of Lochend Branch of Living Rent) expressed her concerns about living in high rise accommodation in Edinburgh, the lack and cost of affordable housing and representing tenants’ rights.
Steve Weir, FBU East Area Secretary, sent a message of solidarity to the survivors and families of those that died. He spoke about his FBU comrades that continuously entered the building, knowing their safety equipment was running low and how many of those fire fighters have now been diagnosed with cancer and mental health issues. Calling for action and justice the government and management committee must be held accountable.
Alison Murphy, EIS, read out a statement from Justice4Grenfell, which was followed by 3 songs from the Protest in Harmony choir and the memorial concluded with a 30-minute silent vigil. Ian Mullen said it was humbling to see that even after 6 years we continue to get a good turnout at the memorial.