Bristol to march in silent solidarity with Grenfell fire victims

Exactly nine months on from the Grenfell Tower fire, the repercussions of the tragedy are still being felt across the nation.

Crowds will march silently through the streets of Bristol on Wednesday evening in a show of solidarity with residents of the Kensington estate, who are still fighting for justice in the wake of the blaze that killed 71 people.

Organised by Bristol4Grenfell, with Bristol People’s Assembly and the Justice4Grenfell campaign, the procession has gained cross-party support in the city, with mayor Marvin Rees giving his backing, and speakers, including the incoming lord mayor Cleo Lake, expected to speak at a rally beforehand.

It follows a march in June 2017 that saw hundreds of people take to the streets for the cause.

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The devastating fire broke out in the block of flats on June 14 2017 and, as survivors remain stranded in temporary housing, the tragedy continues to have far-reaching consequences.

In Bristol, the council and private accommodation providers acted quickly to carry out safety checks and offer tenants reassurance.

Owners of The Courtrooms say they are removing the cladding to give students and parents peace of mind

This week, the owners of The Courtrooms student housing on Rupert Street decided to remove the cladding that covers around 20 per cent the building to offer “peace of mind to students and parents”.

Michelle Miles, operations manager at Global Student Accommodation (GSA), which owns and operates The Courtrooms, said: “Following the tragic events at Grenfell Tower and subsequent additional safety checks introduced by Government, we conducted a full risk assessment and audit, including collaborative work with Avon Fire & Rescue, who have carried out an inspection of the building.

“As the safety and wellbeing of students is a top priority, the university also commissioned an independent life safety fire risk assessor, registered with the Institution of Fire Engineers, to visit the property. His conclusion was that the buildings were safe for occupation and have robust fire systems and procedures in place.

“While the cladding in place was fully compliant with all safety guidelines, we have decided to replace it for peace of mind for residents and their parents.

Cladding on The Courtrooms being removed

“Students who moved into the property at the start of the academic year were made fully aware of the situation and they have been kept up-to-date on developments.

“The Courtrooms is a modern building, fully compliant with all fire safety regulations and benefits from around-the-clock fire alarm monitoring system, full safety systems, staff onsite 24/7 to aid and assist, as well as a host of other fire safety features. It is a safe place to live and we will continue to update our residents on progress.”

People will gather for the march at the Water Fountains on Anchor Road at 5pm on Wednesday for speeches, before setting off at 6pm on a silent procession led by 71 people – each carrying a placard bearing the photo of one of the people that died in the tragedy.

This will be followed by a minute’s silence and speeches in St Paul’s with a guest speaker from Justice4Grenfell.

Read more: Hundreds march through Bristol for Grenfell fire victims