Credit: Getty
“We’re here, we’ve got you, we’re not letting this go,” says Stormzy.
Stormzy has paid tribute to the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire on the third anniversary of the tragedy.
Speaking in a video, which was played during the Grenfell United’s virtual memorial, he said: “I said I was just gonna put the camera on and just talk from my heart instead of trying to prepare anything, I didn’t want this to sound like it came from anywhere other than my heart.
“To all the people of Grenfell, we’re still mourning with you, so to anyone watching this let’s use this time, let’s use today to stand in solidarity with them and say that we ain’t forgotten you. We love you, we’re here for you.”
Stormzy goes on to refer to the fact that the government has come under widespread criticism for its handling of the tragedy – particularly the fact that, according to new analysis, some 56,000 people are still living in buildings with flammable cladding.
“When the government and powers that be have turned their back on you, we’re here,” he said. “We’re here, we’ve got you, we’re not letting this go.
“Because as much as my life’s moved on, your life’s moved on unless you had someone in that fire who you directly lost, whoever your family, your friend, your sister, your mother, your brother, your father, our lives have moved on but there is still a dark reality that these people have to face all the time, that Grenfell was still a reality for these people.
“It was just a day, it was just a week, it was just a month for us, it was a green heart, it was a badge, it was a tweet, but that’s still a dark reality for these people.”
As previously reported by Stylist, a public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire revealed that the cladding wrapped around the exterior of the building was the “primary cause” of the fire spreading.
And, while hearings have since been put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, Stormzy has urged his followers not to forget what happened on 14 June 2017.
“Never forget what happened at Grenfell, please never ever forget,” he said.
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Stormzy finished by praising the community’s ability to turn a tragedy into “togetherness and friendship and brotherhood and sisterhood and family.”
“I love you guys and you lot inspire me because you lot have managed to remain so resilient in the face of the most darkest, darkest, darkest tragedy that people should never experience,” he said.
“I don’t know how we have the mental, emotional threshold for that but somehow you bunch of superheroes do and we love you guys, you’re legendary.”
Images: Grenfell
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