Hillsborough Justice Campaign - Anne Williams

Their Legacy

When Anne Williams said goodbye to her son it would be the final farewell, she would say to her son Kevin. Of course, she was not alone in these 96 souls lost their lives on that sunny Saturday in April 1989, leaving many Liverpool families mourning the completely unnecessary loss of life of their loved ones.

The events that occurred that day were a tragedy. Things were done wrong that day that led to people dying, however, the true crime happened when those responsible for those mistakes covered them up, claiming the whole tragedy was down to the drunken behaviour of the Liverpool fans.

Quite rightly the relatives of the victims and the people of Liverpool refused to take this travesty lying down and thus begam a 30-year campaign to bring the truth to light, and to bring those responsible to Justice.

drawing of Anne Williams by Gillie Pryor

(c) Gillie Pryor. — Gillies says, “I wanted to capture her softer side: afraid, abused, but still innocent”

Anne Williams died of cancer, on 18th April 2013. Just months later an independent enquiry found that the West Yorkshire Police were responsible for what happened and the deaths that resulted from those actions. They also found West Midlands Police guilty of a massive cover up which caused years of pain in Liverpool and contributed to Anne’s early demise. The Sun newspaper who printed scandalous stories in their rags were also severely criticised by the enquiry. An aftermath of the terrible reporting of that deplorable news group sales of that paper plummeted, no-one in Liverpool buys it to this day.

Through their trials and tribulations, their 30-year battle for justice, their names have been known in working-class homes, up and down this nation. They ordinary people who have becomes heroes to countless campaigners, (I include myself in that number) whenever campaigners are losing their will for the fight, the Hillsborough Justice Campaigners, are held up, we are reminded that even in the darkest times when the establishment threw everything at them, they did not flinch, they did not falter or fall until they won. We learn from them if they can win, so can we win.

The story of Anne Williams and the Hillsborough Justice Campaigners was brought back into focus recently in ITV’s drama Anne. Maxine Peake played Anne Williams and brought her back to life.

publicity still. Maxine Peake in ITV drama Anne

(c) ITV. Maxine Peake plays Anne in ITV drama. Publicity still. https://www.itv.com/hub/anne/2a5505

At the end of the day, Anne Williams was a great mother, a brilliant campaigner, a true warrior. This society is a better place because she was amongst us, this world is a sadder worse place because we lost her from it.

I am not only a proud protestor and vibrant campaigner for social justice I am also a poet. Two of my poems about Anne Williams are on my personal blog.

Rob Punton.

Posted on March 28, 2022