British professional boxer Amir Khan has decided to make his contribution to support the victims of the horrendous Grenfell tower fire, having promised to organize a charity dinner to raise money for the victims and their families.
On Sunday, the former world champion visited the site and spoke to a number of people. While locals supported Khan’s initiative, they also expressed their anger and frustration at those they saw as responsible for residents’ deaths as the boxer made his appearance.
“I wanted to come here today to show my support and respect to everyone here, to see what has happened and to hear from the police how the fire happened and what the situation is like at the moment,” Khan told RT.
“The commander did say a few things, but still people are angry, because they want answers, and they are not getting answers they want,” he added.
READ MORE: London police: 58 people assumed dead in Grenfell Tower fire
While the boxer spoke to RT, with a crowd of people surrounding him, boos towards the government could be heard from the crowd, with people shouting, “We want justice,” “Theresa May out,” and accusing politicians and “all these media” of being “corrupt.”
“I don’t get involved in politics,” the boxer told the people, while adding to RT: “Obviously people are really upset. We are all here for the same reason, we are not taking anyone’s side. All I want to do is show my support, being who I am, to give a chance to these people to get some financial help.”
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A young man standing next to Khan, told the boxer how he “just got a phone call now, after all these days, to say there is accommodation.” The man had lived on the sixth floor of the Grenfell Tower.
“It was a mess, I was very, very lucky to escape the fire. If it weren’t for people screaming at the bottom, saying ‘Don’t jump, don’t jump,’ to other people, I would have basically died. There were no fire alarms, nothing,” he said, addressing the camera.
READ MORE: Ruptly producer attacked & violently kicked at Grenfell fire protest in London
The boxer said he wanted to help the man and other victims of the fire with his charity foundation.
“I met up with young victims in a community center, and I said to them, ‘How can I help?’ and they said to me, ‘We don’t need food, we don’t need water, we don’t need clothing, all we need is financial help.’ The people need the money,” Khan said, having promised to organize “a big charity dinner, with all the money raised to go to these victims.”
