Bloody Sunday families speak of horror over Gaza and hit out at Legacy Bill

Speaking on behalf of the families at the 52nd Annual Bloody Sunday Memorial Service, Gerry Duddy, brother of Jackie Duddy, told those gathered that the 2024 anniversary was dedicated to the people of Palestine and that this was ‘one world, one struggle until all are free’.

Thirteen innocent boys and men were shot dead by British army soldiers on January 30, 1972 in the Bogside area during a civil rights march in Derry. A fourteenth victim died a few months later.

The 14 people killed were: Jackie Duddy, Michael Kelly, Hugh Gilmour, William Nash, John Young, Michael McDaid, Kevin McElhinney, James Wray, William McKinney, Gerard McKinney, Gerard Donaghey, Patrick Doherty, Barney McGuigan and John Johnston.

An interfaith group of leaders including Bishop of Derry, Dr Donal McKeown, Fr Michael Canny, Rev David Latimer, Dr Sameh Hassan, chair of the North West Islamic Association and Rev. David Jennings joined the families at the event along with Mayor of Derry & Strabane Patricia Logue.

Mr Duddy said they were awaiting the date for the start of the Soldier F trial. Soldier F stands accused of murdering Jim Wray and William McKinney on Bloody Sunday, and the attempted murders of five others involved in the civil rights march.

Speaking on what was a very windy Sunday morning following a Minute’s Silence, Mr Duddy said that while the Legacy Act “should not affect us, we remain acutely aware of the all the families that this terrible act will rob”.

"It will stop them from getting to the truth and justice. This act has been passed to prevent proper investigations of the Britsh crimes that were committed on our streets. It has been passed because so many of the recent investigations and inquiries into State violence were getting to the truth.

"We stand with all the families who have been affected by this Act, and we stand with all those who are fighting against it. There must be proper investigations, there must be access to truth and justice.”

Turning to the situation in the Middle East, Mr Duddy said that as they gathered to remember Bloody Sunday, they did so under the “dark shadow of the genocide being carried out against innocent people in another part of the world”.

Recounting the shocking current death toll, he said that this was a “genocide being carried out in plain sight” and that those responsible must be held accountable and brought to justice.

He also recounted the harrowing words of the Irish lawyer Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh at the recent genocide hearings while speaking on behalf of South Africa as they brought a genocide case against Israel and spoke of how that same lawyer had worked with the Bloody Sunday families and was counted “as our friend and we are proud to have her stand for the Palestinians”.

"The first genocide in history where its victims are broadcasting their own destruction in real time in the hope in the desperate hope and faith that the world might do something about it.”

Mr Duddy said the families were opposed to all acts of war, whether carried out by Hamas or the Israeli government. Israel, he said, have been “waging war” on the Palestinian people for over seven decades and the families have called on governments to act to ensure a

Mr Duddy also listed the relatives of the Bloody Sunday victims who have sadly passed away over the past year, before his sister Kay Duddy led those gathered at the monument on Rossville Street in prayers.

The annual service was opened and closed by the choir from St. Mary’s in Creggan, who sang poignant renditions of ‘Be Still’ and ‘May The Road Rise To Meet You’.

Bishop Donal McKeown told those at the service that they were “gathering in troubling times when the world is a frightening place for our young people”, a world of poverty and “terrible conflict scarring the face of the earth”.

He urged those gathered “to give thanks for the wisdom and dignity of the people who seen the last 52 years through,” adding:

"We give thanks for the lessons we have learned in this part of the world that we are happy to share with other parts of the world,” and saif they prayed for renewal and not recycling the mistakes of the past.

Rev. Jennings delivered a reading from the Gospel of Matthew before Rev. David Latimer said that the annual service served to remind people each year “of the awful outcome of a civil rights march in 1972”.

Rev. Latimer said: “Would to God that the voice of the peace-maker was heard above the din of war, however right now that seems totally out of reach, especially with the horrific invasion by Israel into Gaza and Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.”

He urged everyone to play their part in helping to shape a better and peaceful future for all in the city here, and closed with a message of hope in the Irish language.

Dr Sameh Hassan said the Bloody Sunday anniversary called to mind others elsewhere struggling for equality and human rights “an our responsibility as human beings to achieve justice”.

“While we honour the memory and sacrifice of the Bloody Sunday victims and the steadfastness of the families in seeking justice”, he said, they should also honour the people of Palestine and those in other places around the world “who are still suffering injustice and aggression as we speak.”

Dr Hassan spoke of the “countless atrocities” the Palestinian people have endured, and urged people never to be silent in the face of injustice.

"Let us reaffirm that never again means never again,” he urged.