Bloody Sunday meeting in London

The Connolly Association brings us news of a Bloody Sunday commemoration meeting in London on Sunday. The collusion theme looks very timely. It will be interesting to hear from Alan Brecknell (who I interviewed last year) in the wake of the recent Ombudsman’s report. The fact an election has just been announced might also bring a spark to the SDLP and SF contributions.

TOWARDS JUSTICE

Remembering Bloody Sunday January 30, 1972
Public Meeting:  2.30pm Sunday 4th February 2007
London Irish Centre, 50 – 52 Camden Square, NW1 9XB

Speakers:    JOHN KELLY – Bloody Sunday Relative
            JOHN McDONNELL MP
            ALAN BRECKNELL Pat Finucane Centre
            RAYMOND McCARTNEY  – Sinn Fein
            COLUM EASTWOOD – SDLP

On Sunday January 30, 1972, soldiers from the British Army’s 1st
Parachute Regiment opened fire on unarmed and peaceful civilian demonstrators
in the Bogside, Derry, killing 14 and wounding 14 others.

Now, some 35 years later we await the verdict of the second British
inquiry into the events of Bloody Sunday.  The Saville Inquiry, which
finished hearing evidence two years ago, is expected to report its findings
early in 2008.  John Kelly talks about the Relatives continuing
struggle for truth and justice.

Recent legislative changes to the terms of reference of public
inquiries compounded by measures currently on New Labour’s ‘war on terror’
agenda mean that other unresolved miscarriages of justice under British
jurisdiction are unlikely to face the scrutiny that the 1921 Inquiries Act
empowered Lord Saville to bring to bear on Bloody Sunday. The recent
report of the Independent International Panel on Alleged Collusion in
Sectarian Killings in Northern Ireland said there was evidence of
collusion between loyalist paramilitaries and the RUC & UDA in 74 murders they
examined.  Alan Brecknell, whose father was murdered in one of those
attacks examined by the panel (the 1975 gun and bomb attack on Donnelly’s
Bar, Silverbridge S. Armagh) will discuss the findings of the report

On a broader level, while the peace process has not yet delivered
inclusive local government in the north, the Good Friday and St Andrews
agreements are bringing this day closer.  Sinn Féin and SDLP have also been
invited to share their views on the ongoing stumbling blocks around
power sharing and republican/nationalist support for the police (PSNI) and
the criminal justice system.