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| Angry Grenfell Tower residents demand arrests and resignations at meeting | |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| Angry residents demanded police investigating the Grenfell Tower fire make arrests and called for the resignation of the new leader of Kensington and Chelsea council at a crowded and chaotic public meeting in the borough on Wednesday evening. | Angry residents demanded police investigating the Grenfell Tower fire make arrests and called for the resignation of the new leader of Kensington and Chelsea council at a crowded and chaotic public meeting in the borough on Wednesday evening. |
| An expert panel assembled to answer residents’ questions had little opportunity to speak as survivors of the deadly blaze and people evacuated from nearby blocks expressed rage, distress and contempt for officialdom. | An expert panel assembled to answer residents’ questions had little opportunity to speak as survivors of the deadly blaze and people evacuated from nearby blocks expressed rage, distress and contempt for officialdom. |
| DCI Matt Bonner, who is leading the police investigation, struggled to reassure more than 200 people present at St Clement’s church that he would bring those responsible to justice. | DCI Matt Bonner, who is leading the police investigation, struggled to reassure more than 200 people present at St Clement’s church that he would bring those responsible to justice. |
| He told the meeting it was a highly complex investigation, one unprecedented outside terrorist attacks, only to be told the fire was indeed a terrorist attack or mass murder. “The investigation will hold people to account,” Bonner insisted almost inaudibly amid the commotion. | He told the meeting it was a highly complex investigation, one unprecedented outside terrorist attacks, only to be told the fire was indeed a terrorist attack or mass murder. “The investigation will hold people to account,” Bonner insisted almost inaudibly amid the commotion. |
| He was repeatedly asked why arrests had not already been made. “I can’t give you a commentary. It would risk jeopardising the investigation and losing prosecutions down the line,” he responded. “Every single question you ask will be answered.” | He was repeatedly asked why arrests had not already been made. “I can’t give you a commentary. It would risk jeopardising the investigation and losing prosecutions down the line,” he responded. “Every single question you ask will be answered.” |
| Bonner said a team of about 250 officers was working on the criminal investigation. Attempting to illustrate its scale, he said the team would interview about 650 firefighters, 300 police officers, 255 Grenfell fire survivors and residents of the Lancaster West estate where the tower is sited. | |
| The investigation was recovering vast troves of data and had identified 60 companies and organisations involved in the construction, refurbishment or management of the building. “The scale of this investigation is why it will take so long. Give me the space to conduct an effective investigation and judge me at the end of it.” | The investigation was recovering vast troves of data and had identified 60 companies and organisations involved in the construction, refurbishment or management of the building. “The scale of this investigation is why it will take so long. Give me the space to conduct an effective investigation and judge me at the end of it.” |
| The forensic investigation was scheduled to continue until the end of the year, he said. | The forensic investigation was scheduled to continue until the end of the year, he said. |
| In a sign of residents’ continuing scepticism over police statements that 80 people died in the fire, members of the audience suggested on separate occasions that 200, 300 or 600 people had been killed. The official death toll has yet to be confirmed, with only 34 victims formally identified so far. | In a sign of residents’ continuing scepticism over police statements that 80 people died in the fire, members of the audience suggested on separate occasions that 200, 300 or 600 people had been killed. The official death toll has yet to be confirmed, with only 34 victims formally identified so far. |
| One man, his voice cracking with emotion, said: “The authorities never listen. Because you are a tenant, you are classified as sub-human. The pace is too slow. If you need 1,000 officers working round the clock, find 1,000 officers. This is a national disaster, a national disgrace, a national tragedy.” | One man, his voice cracking with emotion, said: “The authorities never listen. Because you are a tenant, you are classified as sub-human. The pace is too slow. If you need 1,000 officers working round the clock, find 1,000 officers. This is a national disaster, a national disgrace, a national tragedy.” |
| Elizabeth Campbell, who took over last week as leader of Kensington and Chelsea council after the resignation of Nicholas Paget-Brown, repeated an apology for the council’s “completely inadequate” response to the fire and acknowledged the “despair and grieving” of people in the area. | Elizabeth Campbell, who took over last week as leader of Kensington and Chelsea council after the resignation of Nicholas Paget-Brown, repeated an apology for the council’s “completely inadequate” response to the fire and acknowledged the “despair and grieving” of people in the area. |
| But residents vied to attack local and national officials and politicians and the council’s “damage limitation” exercise. “We don’t sleep, we don’t eat, we want change, and we want you to engage with us,” said one woman. | But residents vied to attack local and national officials and politicians and the council’s “damage limitation” exercise. “We don’t sleep, we don’t eat, we want change, and we want you to engage with us,” said one woman. |
| Another resident said: “Everyone in this room has probably attended 50 meetings in the past four weeks. Every time people say they’re listening to us. But what we want is for you to do your job, and do it properly.” | Another resident said: “Everyone in this room has probably attended 50 meetings in the past four weeks. Every time people say they’re listening to us. But what we want is for you to do your job, and do it properly.” |
| Applause greeted a call for Campbell to step down. | Applause greeted a call for Campbell to step down. |
| Outside the meeting, one man dismissed the event as “all for the cameras, not for local people”. | Outside the meeting, one man dismissed the event as “all for the cameras, not for local people”. |
| At the nearby memorial wall, where hundreds of messages have been left for the fire victims, people gathered at 8pm for a vigil to mark four weeks since the blaze, many bringing tributes of flowers and lit candles. | At the nearby memorial wall, where hundreds of messages have been left for the fire victims, people gathered at 8pm for a vigil to mark four weeks since the blaze, many bringing tributes of flowers and lit candles. |