Bloody Sunday 50: Jeremy Corbyn ‘full of wonderment’ at families - ‘they changed the course of history’

Mr. Corbyn was speaking during a visit to the Ráth Mór centre as a guest of Creggan Enterprises.

“I’m full of wonderment and admiration for the families of the victims and the families of those that were injured as well as those that were killed. If you go through something so horrific as seeing your brother, your son, your husband, your uncle, killed on the streets, you could be filled with bitterness and hatred forever as to what happened to them.

“They didn’t do that. They campaigned, in some cases with great difficulty, because they weren’t getting the support initially that they should have done.

“The role of some journalists, yours included, in exposing the truth about this was very, very important, and I think, I’m just full of admiration for them,” said Mr. Corbyn.

The Islington North MP said the Bloody Sunday families had changed history and compared them to the justice campaigners for the Birmingham Six, Guildford Four and the Hillsborough disaster.

“When what are loosely and slightly patronisingly described as ordinary people are suddenly confronted with a total tragedy they do absolutely extraordinary things and end up changing the course of history and bringing about an access to truth that would have been denied had they not done that campaigning.

“It is the grass roots campaign that brought about that fundamental shift and I’m absolutely full of praise and admiration.

“I’m very proud to be here this weekend to support them on this tragic anniversary but at least it is being commemorated.”

Mr. Corbyn recalled his sense of shock at learning of the atrocity as a young man in London on January 30, 1972.

“I was in London doing things I would normally be doing that day and obviously aware of the issues in Northern Ireland and aware of the march that was going on. I heard that night. I was totally shocked by it. We were talking about it that night. We were talking about it at my work the next day.

“We had this massive march a week later through London but by that time the media story was already building up - that somehow or other the victims were guilty of their own problems - which, if you think about it historically, is absurd.

“That march was huge and it was very, very angry and many of us were arrested at the end of it because of the disturbances that happened in Trafalgar Square and Whitehall at that time. We continued marching for many years afterwards and my hat goes off to all those who campaigned for justice and to bring about the eventual inquiry and statement by David Cameron [the former British Prime Minister]. I have to say the statement by David Cameron was an enormous step forward. I never thought I would hear that kind of statement having been through the whole issue if you like but I think there are still questions to be answered,” Mr. Corbyn said.