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| Grenfell Tower fire: May announces £5m of payments to residents – latest | Grenfell Tower fire: May announces £5m of payments to residents – latest |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 7.57pm BST | |
| 19:57 | |
| Chris Imafidon, whose home overlooks Grenfell Tower and who spoke to my colleague Lisa O’Carroll earlier, gave an emotional address to the crowd at the government protest. He was still holding a scorched piece of cladding and also a poster for one of the young children missing in the other hand. | |
| He said: “I’m not here because I support the Tories, Labour or Liberals. | |
| “I’m here because this child ... on Tuesday went to bed and now nobody knows where this child is. | |
| “I was in front of the block of flats that went up in flames and here (the cladding) is the evidence.” | |
| Updated | |
| at 7.58pm BST | |
| 7.49pm BST | |
| 19:49 | |
| Damien Gayle | |
| Protesters have gathered on Lancaster Road, by the Notting Hill Methodist church, in the shadow of the burned out shell of Grenfell Tower. | |
| #GrenfellTowerprotest gathers in the shadow of #grenfelltower pic.twitter.com/83EQa3ZcGR | |
| Police are stopping them from going any further. Uniformed officers – not riot police – are making their way to the front of the demo. | |
| Police are expected to take a light touch, given the strong feelings surrounding the protest. | |
| 7.40pm BST | |
| 19:40 | |
| My colleague Damien Gayle is following those who had been protesting outside the town hall and are now on Lancaster Road marching towards Grenfell Tower. The numbers have swelled along the way. | |
| Carnival scale crowds outside Notting Hill Gate for the #GrenfellTowerprotest pic.twitter.com/3Sm7Ta2T41 | |
| A small contingent of police in black overalls are flanking the #GlenfellTower protesters pic.twitter.com/OqabbgWJqz | |
| Police vans spotted ahead of #GrenfellTower demo as it makes its way up Ladbroke Grove #GrenfellTowerprotest pic.twitter.com/SLZ6Teq9qQ | |
| Updated | |
| at 7.43pm BST | |
| 7.35pm BST | |
| 19:35 | |
| A man who posted pictures of a Grenfell Tower victim on social media has been sentenced to three months in prison. | |
| Omega Mwaikambo was found guilty of malicious communications offences. | |
| Mwaikambo pleaded guilty at Westminster magistrates court today to two counts under section 127 of the Communications Act. | |
| He received six weeks in prison for each count, to run consecutively, making a total of twelve weeks (three months). | |
| Mwaikambo was originally arrested near to Latimer Road tube station on Wednesday after he posted images relating to the fire at Grenfell Tower on his Facebook page. The images reportedly showed a partially clothed body. | |
| Updated | |
| at 7.44pm BST | |
| 7.22pm BST | 7.22pm BST |
| 19:22 | 19:22 |
| Damien Gayle | Damien Gayle |
| Protesters walking through the upmarket parts of Notting Hill are calling for the area’s wealthy residents to join their demonstration. | Protesters walking through the upmarket parts of Notting Hill are calling for the area’s wealthy residents to join their demonstration. |
| “We all have kids who go to the same schools,” a man says through a PA. “How can this happen in the richest borough in London?” | “We all have kids who go to the same schools,” a man says through a PA. “How can this happen in the richest borough in London?” |
| The demonstration numbers maybe a thousand now, stopping traffic on Holland Park Avenue. The mass chant is: “Justice. Now.” | |
| #grenfelltower protesters march down Holland Park avenue pic.twitter.com/x4U5vCpEKi | #grenfelltower protesters march down Holland Park avenue pic.twitter.com/x4U5vCpEKi |
| A chief concern among demonstrators is what they see as the continued downplaying of the death toll in the media. They feel that authorities are trying to manage the impact of the tragedy by withholding its scale from the public. | A chief concern among demonstrators is what they see as the continued downplaying of the death toll in the media. They feel that authorities are trying to manage the impact of the tragedy by withholding its scale from the public. |
| Updated | |
| at 7.30pm BST | |
| 7.19pm BST | 7.19pm BST |
| 19:19 | 19:19 |
| Lisa O'Carroll | Lisa O'Carroll |
| Chris Imafidon, a local resident, who came to the Marsham Street protest holding a charred panel of insulation from Grenfell said the council was a disgrace.“They have not reacted,” he said. “They have not come down to the residents. They have not come to churches and asked, ‘how did you pass Wednesday night, the day after the fire?’” | |
| This man who lives near Grenfell arrived with a panel of insulation from the building. "The council has not reacted" pic.twitter.com/zQDaYmQ4EP | This man who lives near Grenfell arrived with a panel of insulation from the building. "The council has not reacted" pic.twitter.com/zQDaYmQ4EP |
| Several speakers drew roars from the crowds as they called for May to go. | |
| “We are being treated like rubbish. Our people are being murdered,” one speaker said. | “We are being treated like rubbish. Our people are being murdered,” one speaker said. |
| Another local resident, a teacher, said one of the children in her school had died and insisted survivors would not be uprooted from the locality. | Another local resident, a teacher, said one of the children in her school had died and insisted survivors would not be uprooted from the locality. |
| “For a long time in Kensington our communities have been fighting gentrification. We will not have the continuation of ethnic cleansing and social cleansing across our borough,” she said. | |
| “We deserve to live in the same borough as David Cameron, Michael Gove, [Roman] Abramovich and David Beckham.” | |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 7.31pm BST | |
| 7.17pm BST | 7.17pm BST |
| 19:17 | 19:17 |
| A Tory councillor responsible for housing on Solihull council appears to have just tweeted something extraordinary at my colleague Martin Belam about the Kensington town hall protest. | A Tory councillor responsible for housing on Solihull council appears to have just tweeted something extraordinary at my colleague Martin Belam about the Kensington town hall protest. |
| Martin tweeted a photograph from the protest and Ken Hawkins responded: “Lets get ourselves a hangin!” and compared them to a lynch mob. | Martin tweeted a photograph from the protest and Ken Hawkins responded: “Lets get ourselves a hangin!” and compared them to a lynch mob. |
| This appears to be @Conservatives councillor responsible for housing on Solihull council comparing #GrenfellTower community to a lynch mob pic.twitter.com/soDZ4vCN40 | This appears to be @Conservatives councillor responsible for housing on Solihull council comparing #GrenfellTower community to a lynch mob pic.twitter.com/soDZ4vCN40 |
| 7.07pm BST | 7.07pm BST |
| 19:07 | 19:07 |
| Mustafa Almansur, who organised the protest at Kensington and Chelsea town hall, believes a family friend and her children were killed in the blaze. | |
| Rania Ibrahim, who is a friend of Almansur’s wife, messaged friends and livestreamed a video to Facebook from her 23rd-floor flat as the fire rose through the tower. When her battery ran out, the video cut, and she and her two children have not been heard from since. | |
| Speaking as crowds remained gathered at the entrance of the building, Almansur said the protests would continue. | Speaking as crowds remained gathered at the entrance of the building, Almansur said the protests would continue. |
| The reason for the protest is that so far in the last three days the general public have done everything from raising money to actually going out there on the streets, helping people, finding the victims of the tragedy, going to the community centres, the churches and the mosques with donations and in cash. | |
| “To this day the council has failed to do anything in public, they have not made a public statement or any public comment. The statement they made today was just a fluffy statement – open-ended promises with no concrete numbers of what they are going to be able to do for the people. | |
| Almansur said protesters had been “unsatisfied” by the council’s responses to their questions, but insisted that they had not sought a confrontation with police. | Almansur said protesters had been “unsatisfied” by the council’s responses to their questions, but insisted that they had not sought a confrontation with police. |
| The people didn’t storm the building, they walked into the building after I read out the statement, unhappy with what they heard. So they said let’s go into the building and get the senior executives to come down, but the police were inside the building already not allowing anybody to go up the stairs. The people stood there and they were speaking in the microphone making their demands be known. | The people didn’t storm the building, they walked into the building after I read out the statement, unhappy with what they heard. So they said let’s go into the building and get the senior executives to come down, but the police were inside the building already not allowing anybody to go up the stairs. The people stood there and they were speaking in the microphone making their demands be known. |
| Updated | |
| at 7.29pm BST | |
| 6.55pm BST | 6.55pm BST |
| 18:55 | 18:55 |
| Lisa O'Carroll | Lisa O'Carroll |
| At the Downing Street protest, Matt Wrack, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, said fire standards had deteriorated because of years of cuts.“I heard people saying we need to learn the lessons from Grenfell Tower. These are not new lessons. We learned these lessons 40 years ago and we have to ask why these lessons were not learned.” | At the Downing Street protest, Matt Wrack, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, said fire standards had deteriorated because of years of cuts.“I heard people saying we need to learn the lessons from Grenfell Tower. These are not new lessons. We learned these lessons 40 years ago and we have to ask why these lessons were not learned.” |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 7.05pm BST | at 7.05pm BST |
| 6.53pm BST | 6.53pm BST |
| 18:53 | 18:53 |
| Back at St Clement’s Church, May was also the subject of people’s anger. A woman, wiping away tears after May’s visit, said: “Everyone has lost everything and no one is doing nothing. This is our town.” | Back at St Clement’s Church, May was also the subject of people’s anger. A woman, wiping away tears after May’s visit, said: “Everyone has lost everything and no one is doing nothing. This is our town.” |
| Another man, who did not give his name, said: “What did she bring, what useful things did she bring? The tower block is more strong and stable than that woman’s government.” | Another man, who did not give his name, said: “What did she bring, what useful things did she bring? The tower block is more strong and stable than that woman’s government.” |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 7.05pm BST | at 7.05pm BST |
| 6.49pm BST | 6.49pm BST |
| 18:49 | 18:49 |
| Lisa O'Carroll | Lisa O'Carroll |
| Weyman Bennett, one of the protest organisers, called for May to go. He said it was going to be “a long hot summer” and the working class would come together to oust her.The crowd of about 500 people are now marching from the Department of Communities on Marsham Street to Downing Street.Promising the anger would swell the crowds on the protest he told marchers: “By the time we get to Downing Street, we will know if we are then going to join the others in Kensington town hall or if they will come to Downing Street.” | Weyman Bennett, one of the protest organisers, called for May to go. He said it was going to be “a long hot summer” and the working class would come together to oust her.The crowd of about 500 people are now marching from the Department of Communities on Marsham Street to Downing Street.Promising the anger would swell the crowds on the protest he told marchers: “By the time we get to Downing Street, we will know if we are then going to join the others in Kensington town hall or if they will come to Downing Street.” |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 7.04pm BST | at 7.04pm BST |
| 6.42pm BST | 6.42pm BST |
| 18:42 | 18:42 |
| My colleague Damien Gayle is reporting that protesters have now left the hall and are marching back to the tower to join the other protest there. | My colleague Damien Gayle is reporting that protesters have now left the hall and are marching back to the tower to join the other protest there. |
| Protesters now heading back to the #GrenfellTower pic.twitter.com/gFqlaOlCIG | Protesters now heading back to the #GrenfellTower pic.twitter.com/gFqlaOlCIG |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 6.44pm BST | at 6.44pm BST |
| 6.40pm BST | 6.40pm BST |
| 18:40 | 18:40 |
| Lisa O'Carroll | Lisa O'Carroll |
| An angry member of the public calls on people to march on Downing St tonight. “Theresa May is not fit to be PM,” he says. | An angry member of the public calls on people to march on Downing St tonight. “Theresa May is not fit to be PM,” he says. |
| He said he grew up in a council flat. “Council housing used to be safe, affordable. We could put out children to bed and know they would get up in the morning.” | He said he grew up in a council flat. “Council housing used to be safe, affordable. We could put out children to bed and know they would get up in the morning.” |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 6.45pm BST | at 6.45pm BST |
| 6.34pm BST | 6.34pm BST |
| 18:34 | 18:34 |
| Damien Gayle | Damien Gayle |
| Carolyne Hill, 39, from Brixton, said she came to the Kensington demo to “make a stand for my fellow Londoners”. | Carolyne Hill, 39, from Brixton, said she came to the Kensington demo to “make a stand for my fellow Londoners”. |
| "This is the result of our government and councils not caring about the people." Carolyne Hill from Brixton on the #GrefellTowerFire pic.twitter.com/uv4mnwM44T | "This is the result of our government and councils not caring about the people." Carolyne Hill from Brixton on the #GrefellTowerFire pic.twitter.com/uv4mnwM44T |
| She said: “I believe that the council is supposed to protect its people. This council committed basic gross negligence in providing basic human rights in their fire safety – people died in their homes. | She said: “I believe that the council is supposed to protect its people. This council committed basic gross negligence in providing basic human rights in their fire safety – people died in their homes. |
| “The council is following legislation made by the government, the government has made cuts in every single borough. This is the result of our government, our councils not caring about their people. | “The council is following legislation made by the government, the government has made cuts in every single borough. This is the result of our government, our councils not caring about their people. |
| “They’ve put profit over people now for far too long. This is the result.” | “They’ve put profit over people now for far too long. This is the result.” |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 6.45pm BST | at 6.45pm BST |
| 6.32pm BST | 6.32pm BST |
| 18:32 | 18:32 |
| Victims of the Grenfell Tower disaster will be asked how the public inquiry into the fire should be carried out, Theresa May has announced. | Victims of the Grenfell Tower disaster will be asked how the public inquiry into the fire should be carried out, Theresa May has announced. |
| Survivors and the families of those who died in the devastating blaze will also be given state funding for legal representation at the probe, the prime minister told residents during a visit to a nearby church. | Survivors and the families of those who died in the devastating blaze will also be given state funding for legal representation at the probe, the prime minister told residents during a visit to a nearby church. |
| The package of measures to help the families affected by the Grenfell Tower fire will include £5m of cash donations to be distributed to residents, after the government faced growing criticism over its botched response to the disaster. | The package of measures to help the families affected by the Grenfell Tower fire will include £5m of cash donations to be distributed to residents, after the government faced growing criticism over its botched response to the disaster. |
| My colleagues Heather Stewart and Jessica Elgot have more on that here: | My colleagues Heather Stewart and Jessica Elgot have more on that here: |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 6.46pm BST | at 6.46pm BST |
| 6.23pm BST | 6.23pm BST |
| 18:23 | 18:23 |
| Amelia Gentleman | Amelia Gentleman |
| Local residents were disappointed that the prime minister did not speak to them after her visit to the St Clement’s church, and her swift departure led to shouts of “shame on you” and “coward” from a large crowd of people who had waited outside the church to hear her say something. | Local residents were disappointed that the prime minister did not speak to them after her visit to the St Clement’s church, and her swift departure led to shouts of “shame on you” and “coward” from a large crowd of people who had waited outside the church to hear her say something. |
| Simon McDonald, who works doing youth training with an organisation called Inspired Possibilities, and who grew up in the area, had come to volunteer his services. He was disappointed that the prime minister didn’t stop and talk to affected families outside the building. “We were looking for her to say that she is here with the community,” he said. “She just needed to say a few words of comfort.” | Simon McDonald, who works doing youth training with an organisation called Inspired Possibilities, and who grew up in the area, had come to volunteer his services. He was disappointed that the prime minister didn’t stop and talk to affected families outside the building. “We were looking for her to say that she is here with the community,” he said. “She just needed to say a few words of comfort.” |
| Paul Dhillon, who works near the block and who was there on the night the fire happened, was cynical about her decision to visit. “She’s just doing damage limitation, because she screwed up her polls,” he said. | Paul Dhillon, who works near the block and who was there on the night the fire happened, was cynical about her decision to visit. “She’s just doing damage limitation, because she screwed up her polls,” he said. |
| Layla, who lives in the block beneath the tower, and who waited in vain to see Theresa May, said she didn’t think that there was anything the prime minister could have said to locals that would have made them feel better. “What could she have said? We’ve got so much pain and hurt. We saw it and we live on it.” | Layla, who lives in the block beneath the tower, and who waited in vain to see Theresa May, said she didn’t think that there was anything the prime minister could have said to locals that would have made them feel better. “What could she have said? We’ve got so much pain and hurt. We saw it and we live on it.” |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 6.47pm BST | at 6.47pm BST |