‘Grenfell’ bonfire

I think charging them with a hate crime is over the top. All they need is naming and shaming.

Some people are just natural bullies and have the sensitivity of a block of wood, it probably never occurred to them that their 'guy' was not a hilariously funny joke. As with the ITV producer mentioned above.

I m sorry for once I don’t agree Monica I do think they knew what they were doing that ‘tower’ had been made to look exactly as a Multi storey block they had constructed it made the figures out of brown paper just happened to have brown paper not white at hand ? Ummm it wasn’t just a crass drunken joke, that model had been made with thought to hurt and the cackling women in the background should be ashamed of themselves
Yes they should be named and shamed but also give them a months community work with the London Fire service and lets see if they are still laughing
I am so upset and angry to think such people exist

Those scum are undoubtedly thick racists and deserve to be named and shamed. Not the same as public figures being mocked for their incompetence in cartoons etc.

I really did feel sick to the stomach when I saw the video. The herd mentality was the frightening bit - did not one of them stop to think what they were doing?

It took quite a bit of effort to make the effigy, cutting out the little figures standing at the windows, positioning it over the fire.

The sight of the figures at the windows and the whooping and laughter as they burned was chilling. They were grown men and women …. I'm lost for words really.

I haven't seen the video, but it features a small baby on the ground floor, which is what they lit to start the fire, egged on by women in the background.
They are aged from 20s to 50s.
Bloody foul!

Why give something like that any publicity? Not worthy of news time !

Glad to see the people responsible have handed themselves in to the police, where they are in custody for a public offence disorder, using threatening behaviour No need to call it a hate crime; legislation already exists to deal with this sickening behaviour.

The stocks should be brought back to humiliate the plebs. I'm sure members of the public would delight at throwing something really rotten at them.
This is the biggest problem in this country there's no deterrent. It's got nothing to do with lack of resources,it's a sheer lack of respect of the law brought about by a Labour government who forbade restraining and discipline within the force which then spread to teachers making them utterly powerless to do anything in case of being sued. Bring back power to the police and stop interfering with their way of containing law and order

The men involved handed themselves in to the Police. There's a post up thread saying they will be charged with a hate crime. When I first read about this incident, I wasn't sure a crime was involved, however, as the figures in the bonfire appeared dark skinned, perhaps it fits into a race hate crime.
What worries me more than whether a crime has actually been committed, is that a group of people gathered together to make this crass, offensive and heartless image of Grenfell Tower and then had a grand time laughing as people burned. The incident was videoed and one shout was 'that's what you get for not paying the rent'. Talk about heartless, offensive and crass.
I wonder how those who claim the world is ruled by so called Political Correctness gone mad will fit this incident into that belief?

No doubt they will say it was done when they were drunk (!) but what I can't understand is that during the time it took, first to think of the idea, then to make the "tower block", cut out the figures and fix them in place not one person stood back and said that perhaps it wasn't a good idea! Not sure what crime they can be charged with but naming and shaming should be on the cards.

Yes its crass and incredibly stupid but I agree with POGS where do we start and end.

Another despicable crime reported in Liverpool where yobs put a firework in the pocket of a homeless man who was sleeping rough. What possesses anyone of doing such a thing ? As if it isn't bad enough that the poor chap's in that predicament.

The names and mugshots of these miscreants should be printed for all to see.

These people weren't drunk when they made that effigy,! It would be impossible to create all that detail when drunk! They knew perfectly well what they were doing, and are just completely vile, evil creatures. I can't believe anyone could or would be so dreadful! This burning of effigies, idiotic balloons, shrieking and screaming abuse to and about people, politicians, anyone that others don't agree with is just horrible, mob mentality, whipping up the crowd, all reminiscent of Nazi Germany! Just vile! and dangerous!

EV, I despair!!

Is wanting to put people in stocks civilised ?

Yes Anni, I think on balance it is, it allows the culprits of such crimes (if guilty) to experience humiliation, (hopefully)something they need to experience if they are to ever learn from their behaviour, And if it doesn’t have that affect on them, then nothing ever will, but at least the rest of us will know that they haven’t entirely got away with their actions.

Social conscience seems sadly missing these days. Compassion for those less fortunate than ourselves should be part of any curriculum. I’ve often and more recently thought that it’s about time the celebrations of Guy Fawkes festival was cancelled. I’m not saying don’t have bonfires and fireworks but maybe we could celebrate inclusiveness instead. Having said that, I’d always wanted to go to Lewis for Guy Fawkes until I thought about the implications. These days it does not seem like a good idea. As for the idiots who burnt Grenfell, I wonder why they thought it was a good idea? How thoughtless and unkind! I’m disgusted!

FWIW the burning of effigies of living people at Lewes doesn’t sit easily with me but I don’t believe there’s a moral equivalence between that and this incident. For one thing, the effigies burned at Lewes are not of people killed in a fire and they are all of people who chose to be in the public eye one way or another( but see my first point). I don’t think the people who did this are stupid - I think they are almost unbelievably morally bankrupt. As pps have said, the work they put into it makes it a very chilling act. To think they sat around constructing this, laughing and chuckling, sharing out the tasks and GOK what they talked about whilst they did it. Whether or not they are charged with anything, at least they will be unmasked in their local communities and some may face repercussions at work.

I think the burning of effigies is horrible. I don’t have a problem with the traditional ‘guy’ although he was also a human and horribly executed. I guess I tend to think it all happened a long time ago, and it has become an annual tradition, it’s part of our culture. I have many happy memories as a child at the annual bonfire night celebration, it was a family event, with cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents. But burning effigies of living people, or recently dead people is in very bad taste in my opinion. And whoever thought up the burning of the Grenfell victims, well I’m rendered speechless!

Bridgeit. You are speaking of revenge not justice . And putting people in stocks for others to jeer and throw things at them ? mob rule

Anniebach,is what these yobs do civilised ?

Good post jiggly.

Not jiggly, Niggly.

" Not in my backyard " is no longer an option. Something has to be done about such sick and depraved crimes whether you like it or not.

Acid attacks.What do we do with these monsters ? Slap their wrists ?