The Hillsborough Disaster and why the ‘Justice for the 96 Campaign’ matters to students
You may be miles away from Liverpool at the moment, at home for Easter busily revising for exams, or you may be studying here and have lived in Liverpool your whole life. Whatever your situation I’m sure you will be enamoured with the friendly spirit of Liverpool, its culture, and most importantly its people. You may perhaps have seen over the weekend the tributes payed across the football leagues to the 96 victims of the Hillsborough disaster. But if you’re unsure why matches kicked off 7 minutes later this week, or why the news is covering the Hillsborough inquests each day, read on.
The city of Liverpool has been transformed over the last twenty five years; moving from an old docking industrial port to a vibrant, cosmopolitan city, home to the UKs fastest growing economy outside of London, and of course European Capital of Culture in 2008. However an injustice has been a constant throughout those last twenty five years that has stained the reputation of the city and its people.
On 15th April 1989, Nottingham Forest played Liverpool during an FA Cup semi-final football match at the Hillsborough ground in Sheffield. What later became known as the Hillsborough disaster was a human crush which resulted in the death of 96 men, women and children (all of which were Liverpool fans). The Hillsborough disaster remains the deadliest stadium-related disaster in British history and one of the world's worst ever football accidents.
The day was obviously a tragedy for the victim’s friends and families, the survivors on the day, but also the footballing world who mourned the loss of 96 innocent victims. However, you will notice the majority of retailers across Liverpool, including our own Guild shop refuse to stock The Sun newspaper. The reason for this is indicative of the reason the Hillsborough disaster ranks in the city as one of the biggest injustices of the 20th century. On 19th April, four days after the disaster, then editor Kelvin MacKenzie, used "THE TRUTH" as the front page headline of The Sun, followed by three sub-headlines: "Some fans picked pockets of victims", "Some fans urinated on the brave cops" and "Some fans beat up PC giving kiss of life”. These headlines were gross mistruths which disgustingly failed to take into account the effect trash tabloid reporting would have on the victim’s families and the people of Liverpool.
It has taken 25 years of campaigning by numerous forces to finally get serious steps towards ‘Justice for the 96’. 12th September 2012 saw the report of the Independent Hillsborough Panel published which contained a revelation of a huge amount of documents that have been covered up by some of the highest ranking sections of society. It also declared, conclusively, none of the fans were responsible for the disaster and there was gross negligence on the part of the police and government.
On the evening of the result of the Independent Panel, at St. Georges Hall, a vigil was held for the 96 victims of the disaster and to celebrate the result of the panel. It was a thoroughly moving ceremony with MPs, local Councillors, members of LFC and EFC, and most importantly the families of the victims, leading the 10,000 strong crowd stood in the cold, in lighting 96 candles, saying prayers and poignantly coming together to remember those who lost their lives. Like many students, I wasn’t even born when the Hillsborough disaster took place, and even though I am a football fan, I didn’t really know much about it before I came to Liverpool. I was fortunate to be in that crowd and saw just why the campaign for justice is still such an important part of this city. The speakers summed up the atmosphere perfectly; a fight for justice over retribution; calm over anger; and hope over despair. One of the leaders of that campaign, Anne Williams, spoke that evening on the balcony of St. Georges Hall. She sadly passed away last year, after fighting for years to clear her son’s name, and was remembered at the 2013 Sports Personality of the Year awards. That dedication and determination in the face of such hostility and adversity demonstrates to me something I will never forget about Liverpool. Yes, the city has its vices, as does anywhere. But the loyalty and passion is unrivalled.
15th April 2014 is the 25th anniversary of the disaster and I would plead with you to read the papers, look into what happened that day. You’ll find the names and ages of the 96 victims. Suddenly it becomes easier to appreciate the torment of the victim’s friends and families as young men and women our age were killed. A student from the University of Liverpool, Sarah Hicks, died that day alongside her sister, Victoria. They died watching the team they loved play the game they loved because of the error of others. Others, who over 25 years have hid, and lied, and let the people of Liverpool and those who believed the innocent few, become tarnished as liars.
There have been major steps forward for justice, but there still is work to be done. Know this, when you live in Liverpool, as a student or otherwise, you are part of one of the closest, warmest, safest communities you will ever experience. And that community has, through the legacy of Hillsborough, been victimised and punished for a crime they didn’t commit.
The University of Liverpool motto exclaims ‘Fiat Lux’: ‘let there be light’. Light has been shone on the injustice of the treatment of the Liverpool community, a community you will undoubtedly grow to love as you grow into a graduate of one of the finest educational institutions in the world. We are here to better ourselves but also better society, through the power of education. The ruling of the Independent Panel and the Hillsborough inquests are a step in the direction I want our society to take; more open, more accountable, fairer. And once you’ve been and gone from Liverpool, I hope we will all remember those who are still campaigning, still driven, still battling to get the justice they deserve.
Liverpool Guild of Students is a campaigning organisation. At our core we are here to fight for your rights as students and we can pay no higher tribute, or take greater inspiration from the Justice for the 96 campaign.
