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Adele is lending her voice once again to support the survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire on the third anniversary of the deadly blaze.
The “Hello” singer appeared in a virtual memorial service on Sunday commemorating the lives lost in the fire at the 24-story high-rise in London, which killed 72 people in June 2017 and left hundreds more homeless.
“I want to send my love to all of you today, and let you know that I’m thinking of you, as I always do,” a visibly emotional Adele said during the video message, which began with the ringing of church bells 72 times to mark those who died.
“Even though we’re having to do this in the virtual world, online, on 2020 Zoom life as it is, it’s still so important for us to mourn together and for us to remember that night and to reflect on that and also reflect on where we are now,” she said.
The Grammy-winner continued: “I think that this year, more than ever, there has never been a more appropriate time for us to truly exercise camaraderie, and compassion, and open-mindedness, and persistence. Persistence for answers. Persistence for action.”
Less than 24 hours after the fire in the West London neighborhood, Adele was on the ground working in step with community organizers, distributing supplies, visiting local schools and even bringing cakes to the firefighters.
She also joined mourners for the one-year anniversary of the tragedy in 2018, where she was seen in the crowd singing along to a performance of “Lean On Me” by a group of gospel singers.
In her video message on Sunday, Adele emphasized how much the Grenfell community has taught her about the power of collective action, describing her involvement in their fight for justice as “one of the proudest things” she’s ever been a part of.
“I have never been so moved or so inspired by a group of people before. Your resilience is second to none,” she said.
“I’m so sad that we’re not all together today because although it’s always a very somber event when everyone gets together, it’s also beautiful, and the kids are running around and I can’t wait to hear all about them,” she continued, adding, “And I know that before the anniversary next year that we can all do that and I can’t wait. I can’t wait to be there and I can’t wait to see all of you.”
Concluding her message, Adele said: “I miss you all, I can’t wait to see you all and like I said, I’m thinking of you today more than ever. Stay safe, say healthy.”
British rapper Stormzy also made an appearance during the service to send his love and support to those whose lives were touched by the fire.
“To all the people of Grenfell, we’re still mourning with you,” he said. “When the government and the powers that be have turned their back on you, we’re here. We’ve got you, we remember.”
Since the disaster, the Grenfell community has been fighting for justice with little success, as the unsafe and highly flammable cladding that surrounded the building is still commonly used across the city.
After a series of public inquiries, the most recent of which was delayed due to the coronavirus outbreak, police have said it’s “unlikely” anyone will face criminal charges until 2021 once all is said and done.
Adele has even expressed her frustration about the response from the government, telling the crowd at her show in London after the tragedy, “They’re not receiving the things we think they are. It’s a fucking mess. No information is getting through, people feel helpless. No one knows what they’re doing down there, it’s chaos.”
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