Thousands of people have shared powerful images of the Grenfell firefighters after a damning report slammed fire chiefs for their refusal to drop its policy preventing people from being evacuated on the night of the tragedy.
The Grenfell Tower disaster claimed 72 lives on 14th June, 2017 and the shock of the tragedy is still being felt two years on for survivors, the relatives of the deceased and the community in Kensington.
In light of the scathing inquiry, which was published today (Wednesday, 30th October), many have taken to social media to shared messages of support for the London Fire Brigade and condemned the findings.
One penned alongside heartbreaking images of firefighters in the aftermath of Grenfell: "Message to all London fire fighters...
"On behalf of every decent member of the public in this country, we're behind you, we support you and we respect what you do. The report on Grenfell is a joke and nobody lands any blame on your shoulders...
"I feel ashamed that they are trying to accuse you of not doing your job after you selflessly ran into a burning tower to save life with little consideration for your own safety," they continued.
"Government are a shambles and Baroness Lawrence... you should be ashamed, your the racist my love..... let's hope you never need the help of our brilliant fire service. IM BACKING THE LONDON FIRE BRIGADE"(sic).
A firefighter, who had been at Grenfell tower trying to put out the blaze, took to Twitter to write alongside a screengrab of a front page: "As a Firefighter who attended Grenfell, I am truly disgusted by what this country has become.
"This picture sums it up perfectly. Man who closed 10 Fire Stations, cut 30 Fire Engines and 500 Firefighters, not to blame, but Fire Brigade cut to ribbons, fully to blame. #Grenfell" (sic).
Another posted: "Sickened by attempts to blame firefighters for #Grenfell. Tory cuts and negligence left that building as a disaster in waiting and hundreds homeless in the aftermath.
"Yet still firefighters walked into that building not knowing if they would walk out. I stand with them".
"If the #Grenfell report puts blame on London Fire Brigade when they'd faced years of cuts from Boris Johnson as Mayor & were following a National stay put policy that is a disgrace," a fifth wrote.
"There are definitely people to blame for this tragedy, but it ain't the fire brigade."
The scathing inquiry into the 2017 disaster said 55 of the 72 people who died in the fire were told to remain in their flats.
Inquiry chairman Sir Martin Moore-Bick also concluded Grenfell's recently installed cladding and insulation was illegal. He added that it was the "principal" reason for the fire's rapid spread up the building in just 30 minutes.
Following the release of the report, survivors and the family of the deceased have called for the commissioner of the London Fire Brigade, Dany Cotton, to resign, saying it was "heartbreaking" to read that their loved ones could have been saved if the building was evacuated earlier.
The group added the LFB's leadership must "stop hiding behind the bravery of their front line fire fighters [and] ... face consequences for these failings if there is to be change".
Featured Image Credit: PA
