Bloody Sunday March For Justice goes virtual & global

This year’s events include talks, panel discussions, films and once again within the programme, Derry’s annual Radical Book Fair, which itself will have book launches and film screenings.

Because of the Covid restrictions, everything takes place online, so people can safely participate from their homes. Each event description on the website will include its Zoom link, each will be live ten minutes in advance of the scheduled time.

Jim Keys, who is organising the technology, said: “It’s unfortunate that the online solution may exclude some locals who lack internet access, but we’ve been careful to make it as simple as possible for everyone who does, even those usually bamboozled with, ‘Where did the link go?’.

“Our website, bloodysundaymarch.org acts as a ‘one stop source’ for access to every event. On the positive side, events can now include people not present in the city. We have gone global!”

The organisers say Derry continues to have a resonance with oppressed peoples across the world and that the events of Bloody Sunday were ‘emblematic of injustices across a global order structured by unaccountable power.’

Programme of Events

The opening event on Monday, ‘Where To Now For Justice?’, connects Bloody Sunday to the killings of 13 Palestinian citizens by Israeli Security Forces in October 2000, and how engaging with that story opened the eyes of a group of Black Lives Matter activists to a wider understanding of the challenges we all face.

On Tuesday it examines the case of the Craigavon Two and examines the issue of spies and agent provocateurs.

On Wednesday the film ‘Mangrove’, directed by Steve McQueenlooks at a system pitted against a community, in this case London’s West Indian community.

Friday’s event ‘Spies on the March’will be a panel discussion with Eamonn McCann and Jason Kirkpatrick to examine the implications for our understanding of Bloody Sunday given the revelations at the ‘SpyCops’ inquiry in London.

Saturday afternoon’s event, ‘The State We Are In’, will be chaired by Bernadette McAliskey. She will ask “Has the UK State got a case to answer for its deliberate actions in Northern Ireland, in violation of its UN obligations? Do the victims of the UK State collectively have a route to the Court of International Justice in the Hague to make them answer?”

In Saturday evening’s event, ‘Creating Justice’, Jim Keys, in conversation with Helen Henderson, will draw on his experiences in the fields of social and environmental justice, to present the case for ‘a possibility’.

Commenting on that he said: “I have a sense that the work of Zero Waste North West with our District Council can be a model for how we build an inclusive movement for justice that might give us, as a species, a future on our fragile planet. There are vital connections between environmental and social justice.”

A potential event for Thursday is awaiting final confirmation. Check the website for updated details.

The Virtual March on Sunday, January 31.

Commenting on this year’s virtual march on Sunday, Kate Nash of the committee said: “Each year the march is led by 14 crosses symbolising those murdered on the day. It has also provided a platform for others seeking justice. This year we are inviting those struggling for justice across the world to join the virtual march and walk with us on Sunday. Then afterwards to post a photo, or short video of themselves ‘on the march’ that explains their grief and search for justice.

“We have already had pledges of participation from groups around the world. From Derry to Dublin; from Palestine to Seattle; addressing issues from Black Lives Matter to Mother and Baby homes.”

Fourteen stories will lead this virtual march. A short film featuring those stories, will go live on the March website at 3pm. The committee invites people to post their contribution on the Facebook page: facebook.com/BloodySundayMarch/ after 3p.m. on Sunday. Details about the virtual march and all events are available on the website:

bloodysundaymarch.org