Those who are living are now dead
Those who were breathing are from the living earth fled.
If you want to see how the poor die, come see Grenfell Tower.
See the tower, and let a world-changing deed flower.
— Excerpted from a poem by Ben Okri
The fire that killed at least 79 of the poor housed in the Grenfell Tower Block in the UK was nothing short of murder by the owners of the luxury apartments that are near the Grenfell Tower. The flammable cladding on the outside of the building, costing $10 million, was put up because the developers and rich in the area saw the building as an eyesore, lowering the value of their property. But the safety demands of the workers for sprinkler systems and other issues had been ignored for years.
The fire has united a broad section of workers demanding that government act in their interests and take over vacant luxury housing in the area to house survivors. The same class that is responsible for these 79 deaths is responsible for the growing poverty and homelessness everywhere. The poor of every nation are rising to demand that government serve them, and not corporate profits. Making decent, safe, affordable housing a “right” guaranteed by government is a first step to a new, cooperative society that benefits all.
