Protesters demanded answers over the Grenfell Tower fire in London. Photo / AP
Protesters demanded answers over the Grenfell Tower fire in London. Photo / AP
Frustrations over the fatal Grenell Tower fire boiled over today as victims, residents and protesters took to the streets of central London demanding answers over the blaze.
Hundreds of people gathered outside Kensington Town Hall in west London wanting to know how the tragedy could have happened.
The frustrated victims and family members then marched to the scene of the blaze at Grenell Tower, the Daily Mail reported.
A separate march was held on Whitehall, where protesters were angry with the response from the Government following Wednesday's disaster.
The group holding printed placards brought the heart of London to a standstill as they tried to march from the Home Office headquarters to Downing Street.
The crowd, shouting "May must go", "justice for Grenell" and "blood on your hands", were met with a cordon of police officers as they marched up Horseguards Parade, coming to a stop outside the entrance to Downing Street.
Organisers estimated at least 1400 were involved, with many waving placards. Protesters were also seen holding a sit-in at Oxford Circus and a further demonstration outside the BBC's Broadcasting House.
It came as Prime Minister Theresa May faced angry scenes earlier in the day as she met the group of victims, residents, volunteers and community leaders at St Clement's Church close to the scene of the horrific blaze.
The Prime Minister was booed and jeered after she met survivors of the inferno but failed to address people demanding a response to the devastating fire.
Protesters walk towards the Grenfell Tower. Photo / AP
An angry protester shouted: "What is she doing here? She's going back to her nice cosy home. Why has she come only on Friday? Get the f*** out."
Other people shouted "murderer" and "coward" at the Prime Minister as she abandoned the meeting to return to the security of Downing Street. Police broke up a scuffle between members of the crowd as Mrs May's car drove off.
Councillors are among those who face serious questions over the apparent safety failings which led to the fire spreading quickly up the tower block on Tuesday night.
The protesters initially gathered outside the building, insisting that those displaced by the disaster be housed with the London borough rather than elsewhere.
But some of the group then went through the door chanting "we want justice" and pushed up the stairs towards the authority's offices. Some shouted "murderers" while others yelled "cowards".
The group were stopped halfway up the stairs, and most then returned outside. The protesters issued a list of demands, including a "written commitment from the council on immediate re housing of all the victims of Grenell Tower fire, within the borough".
In a written response, a council spokesman said: "We plan to house residents of Grenell Tower as locally as we can. But we may well need help from our close neighbours.
"We want to re-house people in a good home as quickly as we can.
"The council is committed to looking after the immediate and longer-term housing needs of all those affected by the fire."
A woman, who wiped away tears of frustration as she moved away from St Clement's Church, said: "Everyone has lost everything and no one is doing nothing. This is our town."
Another man, who did not give his name, told police: "It's not your fault, she shouldn't have come.
"What did she expect was going to happen.
He added: "What did she bring, what useful things did she bring? The tower block is more strong and stable than that woman's government."
Those gathered at the council's headquarters also called for an "immediate release of funds to cover costs of welfare and all losses suffered by the victims".
A council spokesman responded: "We are already releasing funds to take care of the immediate needs of those affected as well as other support.
"We are absolutely committed to supporting anyone affected in the days, weeks and months ahead.
"But if you know of individuals or families who you feel aren't getting help, then please let us know so we can get help to them as quickly as possible."
Ali Hamza, 24, told MailOnline not enough was being done for his community and said Theresa May had "no heart".
He said: "She is so deep in her politics she can't understand or relate to what we are going through. Conservative politics don't have families living in tower blocks, they don't know what it's like and this wouldn't have happened to them.
"All we are asking for is empathy."
The Notting Hill resident said he was overwhelmed with the support of the community and how everyone has rallied round. "It doesn't matter what religion you are here or what the media says about us, we have all come together, unity goes a long way.
He praised Jeremy Corbyn as a "people person" after the Labour leader met with survivors yesterday.
Mustafa Almansour, who helped organise the protest outside the town hall, addressed the crowd.
He said: "The outpouring of love and generosity from the public has been extraordinary, £5 million has already been raised.
"But neither the leader of the council nor his cabinet have not made any commitments to those who have suffered.
"The council has not committed any funds for the welfare of the public. We would like the leader of the council to make a statement to the media and public present today.
"We demand the chief executive and the leader respond to the victims of this tragedy."
"Firstly we want communication with victims of the Grenell Tower fire so that we know who has died. Families need to know if they have lost their loved ones. Particularly funding to cover the cost of rehoming the victims of this tragedy."
He added: "No commitment has been made to the victims to rehome them in the borough. This commitment needs to be made today.
"We demand a criminal investigation into the £10 million that was spent of public money on the refurbishment of the property.
"And to bring all those responsible for that project to justice. We want an investigation into all similar buildings in the borough and across London.
"We want to see all necessary measures taken to ensure this tragedy will never be repeated in London again.
"We will stay here until we get a response from the leader of the council to make a statement about the systemic failures and to not act for just the few."
Tahra Ahmed, who was involved in organising the protest, branded the tower fire a "holocaust". The former Metropolitan Police worker admitted she was "hoping the protest doesn't get worse" after repeatedly being forced to intervene to stop violence against police throughout the evening.
One masked protester, who would only say his name was Joseph, told MailOnline: "We're protesting. They've failed to come out and speak, they've decided to run out through the back but we want to be spoken to.
"We want answers. Our families did not die in vain.
"I guarantee if this happened in Chelsea half of the council staff would be out talking by now - but here they ran away.
"The police are trying to scare us to go away but we're not going away.
"We don't want to cause violence. We just want someone to accept responsibility, someone has to accept responsibility, we're in the real world.
"How do you expect innocent people to die and nobody to react? Actions have consequences."
After his speech, a rendition of "for the residents, justice" rang out among the agitated crowd, followed by chants and demands for the council to respond.
Among the crowds of residents calling for justice is 17-year-old Oma Taghi, who finished school three days ago.
But instead of enjoying the first days of his summer, he is walking the streets of North Kensington calling for answers.
The teenager from Latimer Grove said he is disgusted and let down with the reaction from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
He said: "We are just hoping some people are still alive but we have seen bodies come out of there. We just want them to tell us what is going on."
A resident who didn't want to be named said: "I have nothing to say, if you want my opinion they murdered them.
"I saw kids burned alive, I had a video on my phone, I saw it happen but I deleted it.
Visibly angered and distraught he said: 'Then the media come here and want to shove a camera in your face? How could you feel if it was your kids that died? I have three children.
"I don't care about Theresa May or the Government or what they say now, they murdered them."
Keith Miles, who turned 68 today, has little cause for celebration after witnessing the terrifying fire just metres from his home which is just opposite.
Following the news the Prime Minister has pledged £5 million for an emergency fund he said it wasn't enough. He said: "My message to the government is get out.
"I have lived here since 1982 and have never seen anything like it. I woke up and saw burning, I understand why people are upset and protesting here but rioting won't solve the problem.
"I had friends in that building, it never should have happened. Everyone is angry and everyone is in shock."
Mr Miles has lived in North Kensington since 1982 with his severely ill wife. He used to work for RBKC before he fell ill.
As tempers continue to grow this evening, hundreds marched to the site of the fire after an earlier demonstration at Kensington Town Hall. The group are calling for the Prime Minister to step down.
As a helicopter whirs ahead, an onlooker said he believed the police were outnumbered if anything were to come to blows.
The protest which appears to have settled began dramatically when hundreds marched towards the tower - and a cordoned off area for the media - chanting.
Met officers raced to get to the bottom before the protesters could and asked those involved to stay back.
Pregnant Sky TV presenter Sophy Ridge had to be hauled out of the media enclosure as protesters came towards the area.
The journalist had to be ushered behind steel barriers by police while the rest of her team remained in the closure.
Singer Lily Allen joined protesters from across London to gather outside the offices to demand officials answer their questions following the blaze which left least 30 people dead.
Sky News reported that sources had told them 70 people are missing and feared dead.
Allen, who rushed to the scene of the fire on Tuesday night, said: "I was there and saw people waving and screaming for help and I felt scared with them.
"The council needs to start helping and until they say to people to stop putting things in boxes and go home, we will continue to help.
"There has been other events where resources are available, if this was a terrorist attack more would have been done to help.
"Theresa May should have gone into the community, met the people so tragically effected by this, not just met a few fireman. This is about corruption and corruption of governments."
Earlier in the day Mrs May visited survivors in hospital, as allies defended her against claims that she was failing to engage with those affected by the tragedy.
Mrs May spent almost an hour speaking to patients and staff at London's Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, a day after visiting the scene of the blaze in west London to talk to firefighters, police and other emergency workers.
She today announced a £5 million fund would be made available to pay for emergency supplies, food, clothes and other costs.
The PM also chaired a meeting of a Whitehall group of senior ministers and officials to agree a range of help.
In written statement issued after the meeting in Kensington Mrs May said: "The individual stories I heard this morning at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital were horrific. I spoke with people who ran from the fire in only the clothes they were wearing.
"They have been left with nothing - no bank cards, no money, no means of caring for their children or relatives. One woman told me she had escaped in only her top and underwear.
"The package of support I'm announcing today is to give the victims the immediate support they need to care for themselves and for loved ones. We will continue to look at what more needs to be done.
"Everyone affected by this tragedy needs reassurance that the Government is there for them at this terrible time - and that is what I am determined to provide."
