Memorials were held across the UK on Thursday morning (June 14) to honor the one year anniversary of the deadly fire in the Grenfell Tower block of public housing apartments that took the lives of 72 people. Among those marking the solemn moment with survivors and family members near the scene of the fire was Adele, who was filmed standing among the grieving and singing along to a choir performing Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and Bill Withers’ “Lean on Me.” According to a report, grime rapper Stormzy was also spotted in the crowd at the event where a 72-second moment of silence was observed.
Adele, who lives not far from the site of the conflagration that has been blamed on faulty cladding on the outside of the building that reportedly helped spread the flames, has been an active supporter of the victims of the fire. She and husband Simon Konecki visited the site the day after the fire to comfort victims, as well as dropping in to a local fire station to thank first responders and offer them “tea and cuddles.” She also treated children who were impacted by the tragedy to a free private screening of Despicable Me 3 in August.
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And, like many, she’s continued to speak out about what she said is the meager support the victims have gotten from the British government over the past year. To date, according to the NME, less than half of the people who were left homeless by the fire have been moved into permanent housing. “They’re not receiving the things we think they are. It’s a fucking mess. No information is getting through, people feel helpless,” she noted during a show at Wembley Stadium. “No one knows what they’re doing down there, it’s chaos.”
The massive fire ripped through the 24-story apartment tower on June 14, 2017, setting off a blaze that burned up to 1,800 degrees as it spread under the sheath of silver cladding that authorities believe helped accelerate the flames. In December, Adele signed a petition requesting that fans take action to implore Prime Minister Theresa May “take urgent action to restore their faith in the Grenfell Tower inquiry.”
Adele sings along to ‘Lean on Me’ as she stands with the Grenfell families on the first anniversary of the fire.
Stormzy was also spotted in the crowd https://t.co/UdXcxpzdnx pic.twitter.com/sRQOBGGINH
— ITV News (@itvnews) June 14, 2018