The frantic revelry, noise, colour and excitement of Notting Hill Carnival will be stilled briefly on Monday 28 August, when at 3pm precisely the sound systems will switch off to begin a minute’s silence in memory of the 80-plus victims of the Grenfell Tower fire. The gesture is the carnival community’s way of paying respect to its close neighbours.
Now the organisers have suggested another way that visitors and participants can show their solidarity with Grenfell: by wearing something green.
Speaking about this ‘Green for Grenfell’ initiative, Carnival chair Pepe Francis said: “We feel this is a great initiative to show respect and solidarity for our neighbours and friends of Grenfell… We hope you join us for a peaceful celebration of our community, wear green as a mark of respect and remember the one-minute silence.”
The colour green, Pepe reminded us, represents renewal, growth and harmony. And perhaps most appropriately, some religions associate the colour with resurrection and regeneration – which also happen to be the underlying forces of Carnival.
