‘Time for Truth’ campaigners demand justice for victims of British soldiers at Free Derry corner on Armed Forces Day

A campaign group set up to push for justice for people killed by the British Armed Forces staged a protest at Free Derry corner at the weekend.
By Kevin Mullan
Published 29th Jun 2021, 16:11 BST
Updated 29th Jun 2021, 17:28 BST
Group pictured during a Time for Truth and Justice protest, organised by Sinn Fein and calling for a withdrawal of an amnesty for British state forces, at Free Derry Wall on Saturday afternoon last. DER2125GS - 079Group pictured during a Time for Truth and Justice protest, organised by Sinn Fein and calling for a withdrawal of an amnesty for British state forces, at Free Derry Wall on Saturday afternoon last. DER2125GS - 079
Group pictured during a Time for Truth and Justice protest, organised by Sinn Fein and calling for a withdrawal of an amnesty for British state forces, at Free Derry Wall on Saturday afternoon last. DER2125GS - 079

The picket on Saturday was deliberately timed to coincide with Britain’s Armed Forces Day, which commemorates British service personnel.

The ‘Time for Truth’ group said: “Irish people in the six-counties are fully aware of the consequences of being at the receiving end of British Armed Forces for the past fifty years.

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“They have suffered from a range of human rights abuses inflicted by these forces in our homes, streets and laneways, places of employment, recreation areas, in their prisons and interrogation centres. These abuses range from harassment and torture to the wounding and murder of Irish citizens.” 

Two dozen people holding posters emblazoned with the slogan, ‘No amnesty for British state forces, time for truth and justice’ took part in the demonstration. The group said: “Our focus is on shining a light on British Government strategy in Ireland, a strategy which breached the human rights of citizens on a daily basis including the massacre of civilians on Bloody Sunday, 1972 on this very street in Derry as well as in other districts such as Ballymurphy, Springhill, and the New Lodge.”

The campaigners said families deserved justice where the British state had failed to meet its obligations under Article 2 of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR). 

“The latest proposals by them to deny families Article 2 compliant investigations, or access to due process via civil challenges or legacy inquests is totally unacceptable.

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“Our mobilisations resume today, carried out within current guidelines. We have organised a series of protest actions across the six-counties in opposition to current attempts to introduce a Legacy Bill next month at Westminster.

“These mobilisations will increase in time and numbers as our campaign develops.”

Time for Truth is demanding the full implementation of the Stormont House Agreement legacy mechanisms; adequate resourcing for all legacy mechanisms; adequate funding for the Lord Chief Justice’s five-year legacy inquest plan.
They are also demanding adequate funding for the Police Ombudsman; the fulfilment of outstanding Weston Park Legacy Agreements; and a public inquiry into the Pat Finucane murder.