Memorial space to New Cross fire victims unveiled

A refurbished memorial space at Hackney Downs Park, east London, dedicated to the memory of the New Cross Fire victims from 1981, was unveiled on March 2 to coincide with the 43rd anniversary of the Black Peoples Day of Action march, which protested the 1981 racial attack.

Known as the New Cross Fire Tribute Avenue, the refurbished area includes new-look memorial benches and improved signage, which will ensure that visitors are aware of the significance of the 14 trees that were planted in the park 27 years ago by the late Jamaican sound system operator and activist Charles Collins (aka Sir Collins) in memory of the victims.

The dedication project was spearheaded by the Older Generation Younger Generation (OGYG) organisation and the BSix Sixth Form College in Hackney, along with the support of the New Cross Fire Foundation (NCFF) and Hackney Council.

Collins founded OGYG and planted 14 trees in Hackney Downs Park 27 years ago as a memorial to those who died, including his son Steve Collins, making it the UK’s first permanent tribute site to the victims of the infamous house fire in Lewisham, south London.

The New Cross Fire took place in the early hours of Sunday January 18, 1981, and killed 13 young black people, with the suicide of a survivor two years later bringing the total number of victims to 14. The people killed were between the ages of 14 and 22.

Many believe it was a racist attack as Lewisham was, at the time, a Nationalist Front stronghold, and violent racially charged attacks were commonplace. No one was ever charged in the suspected arson attack.

On March 2, 1981, some 25,000 people from the black community took to the streets of London in protest against those who had massacred the 13 young people and the Metropolitan Police’s tardy investigation of those killings and the circumstances surround them. The protest became known as the Black People’s Day of Action march.

GREAT SYMBOL

Speaking at the unveiling of the refurbished memorial, Gary Collins, chairman of OGYG and son of the late Charles Collins, said his father would be proud of the project.

He said: “My dad would be so proud that his vision to keep those who died in our memories has been realised. The Tribute Avenue holds both peace as a place of remembrance and tragedy as a memorial to the victims of the fire.”

He also reflected on the importance of educating people on what the memorial is and why it is there. Collins said: “If you haven’t got history then you don’t know where you’re going. If I don’t know what happened then, how am I meant to know what’s going to happen ahead of me?”

Also speaking at the unveiling was human rights advocate Professor Gus John, who was one of the organisers of the Black People’s Day of Action march in 1981.

He said: “It was good this refurbished memorial was done by school students from BSix Collage. It is part of our history, but not one that they could easily identify with, so it is heartening that they had done the research, learnt as much as they could and put it into context.

“The Black People’s Day of Action march 43 years ago was a reaction to how society and the Metropolitan Police were treating us. The 25,000 people who flocked to London on that ordinary working day came from different parts of the country and could identify with police harassment, the activities of the far right, which the police facilitated, and a society that kept us as a marginalised group. The march was a statement of our power and our presence and that we could organise ourselves to hold them to account.”

Also present at the refurbished memorial space was Professor Patrick Vernon, OBE, Windrush campaigner and author of the book 100 Great Black Britons, who feels that the memorial is a great symbol for the black community.

He said: “When you look around Britain, there are not that many memorials or plaques to recognise our loss, our bereavement, and a place of reflection of our shared experiences. After 43 years no one was arrested or convicted for what happened at New Cross. There is never an end result. Commemorations like this in Downs Park are useful as it will educate the public of such events, but more importantly, we have to continue fighting for justice for the families who still have no peace.”

The OGYG and NCFF are looking to continue their efforts to rejuvenate the London spaces dedicated to the victims of the New Cross Fire at multiple sites, including in Dalston Square, and the official memorial site in Lewisham, all of which were first established by Charles Collins.