Should Grenfell Tower be demolished?

Evening Standard

Locals to Grenfell Tower give their reaction to the decision to demolish the building.

Transcript

00:00I think the tower should be demolished because it's an eyesore really and to tell you the truth

00:08it was a nightmare for me. About a year ago the tapeline around the building it was a windy day

00:16and it was really windy and it blew off and it was a sight for sore eyes you know it really freaked

00:23me out just seeing the the blackness inside you know just from far the blackness from the fire

00:31and that so that was really distressing for me. You know I think it's pretty sad in my opinion

00:36um I mean if it's been demolished for safety reasons and so forth I understand but if they

00:43can preserve it and save it and rebuild it I think that'd be really good for the community

00:48and you know it stands as a legacy for the lives that were lost in the community that knew the

00:55people as well. I'd moved here a year ago so I'm not like London born but I've been integrated into

01:00the community to understand the impact that this you know horrible tragedy has had on the community

01:05you know seeing the Grenfell marches being there for the marches and um you know seeing forever in

01:10our hearts graffitied all over West London you know I understand the impact so I can understand

01:15for the families and the grieving families it's sort of a sight for sore eyes you know a everyday

01:19reminder of what happened to those closest to them but in the same breath you can also argue

01:25that having that tower there is representation of hey don't forget don't forget this terrible

01:31thing that could have been avoided you know that got a ton of people killed. Well I think it's a

01:36bad it's a bad reminder if it stays up it would be a monumental disaster and I think for the new

01:44people who's going to occupy the present one they're building it's not good for them or the

01:51community to have something like that reminding them of a disaster every day I think it should

01:58be taken down. I'm surprised that it hasn't happened sooner to be honest um I think that

02:05it's probably not safe to have it up um but I think that the people around should be asked

02:13how they feel about it because obviously it means a lot and um yeah somewhere where people remember

02:20and I think they should probably put something else in place of it. And then on my opinion I

02:25see it to be like a memory every time I just see the building it gives me a memory of or history

02:31of what happened there and to me I see it as a symbolic for the ones who lost their families

02:37and then their loved ones that they had people just go there to just have a reconnection with

02:43their past events and to recall on the memories of their lost souls and their cherished ones so

02:47for me I see it to be as a figure of hope for people to get on with their lives. Similar to

02:53what they did in New York uh with Ground Zero I think a memorial would be the most respectful thing

03:00I'm surely hoping that you know you look at the building you see the tarp on the building

03:05you know they might have to demolish it they might have to take it down piece by piece I hope

03:08that it's done respectfully and that the tarp isn't taken off and that the people who were there

03:12that whole that horrible day don't have to be reminded of what's under that tarp but you know

03:17uh I think the most respectful thing would be possibly a memorial if I'm being honest with you.

03:22Well I would like to see it demolished and um for the families that um their family

03:31passed away I think each section should have like um a little section for the immediate families

03:40that was um that had perished in the fire and I think they should also have like an area for

03:49the residents that wasn't affected but was affected by the fire like where they can sit

03:54down and reflect really. It could be a garden of remembrance yeah so the people who really

04:03want to remember it in a good way couldn't go in the summer go and sit down and have a good

04:08you know happy feelings with it. It's part of you know the history of the area

04:14and um it's a sad thing over in all it's a sad thing you know the lives that were taken

04:20and you know no accountability you know nobody's held accountability I think that's the saddest

04:25part. I think that it will make people forget that it happened um which I don't think obviously

04:31I don't think it's a good thing um because obviously it's up now and it's got the green

04:36heart on it and people see it all the time so without it there it's just another one of those

04:42things that people will forget about and it'll happen again. Well it's very solemn it's very

04:47solemn it's still fresh in our minds and um it's really devastated the community

04:57but and another thing it's devastated the community but it's actually brought the community together

05:03you know which I think is a really great beautiful thing. I see it to be it's like a memory

05:09and memories always lives with people so that's my take on that.

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