Bloody Sunday victims can 'rest in peace'

[Beertigger]

DERRY, Northern Ireland — The moment when the people of this city learned that their 38-year campaign to establish the innocence of the victims of Bloody Sunday came at 3.26 p.m. today, four minutes before it was officially announced. That was when a thumbs-up appeared from an aperture in a stained-glass window high in Derry's Guildhall where relatives of the 14 dead had been given an advance view of Lord Saville's 5,000-word report.

The response was a huge cheer from a crowd of 6,000 gathered in hot sunshine in Guildhall Square. A wave of emotion swept through the square and the packed nearby streets as more thumbs and waving hands appeared. The cheering continued until the British Prime Minister David Cameron appeared on a giant television screen at a half-past-three.

There was silence as Cameron announced to the House of Commons that the killings of civil rights demonstrators by members of Britain's elite First Parachute Regiment on Jan. 30, 1972, were "unjustified and unjustifiable."

This produced another prolonged cheer. Many people stood applauding with tears in their eyes. Justice had been done at last for the relatives of those whom the British Army had shot and then callously called bombers and gunmen. All of the 14 victims were exonerated from any blame.

More at Bloody Sunday victims can 'rest in peace' and Will Bloody Sunday report help Derry move on?






Watch the politics on this one, lads (and lasses).

[beloitpiper]

38 years.

[denmcdough]

Thanks for the good news!

Well done Mr. Cameron. At long last, a wrong has been righted!!!! It took guts to apologize for the dastardly deeds of 38 years ago.

[seanachie]

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a n-anamacha uaisle

[toadinakilt]

"How long must we sing this song...?"

38 years. Finally.

[Arlen]

While this is an incredibly important and momentous historical occasion, we're going to go ahead and keep a weather eye on this thread. It would be a terrible shame to have to spoil the good intentions of the OP and close it if things got heated.


Be well,

Arlen.

[MrShoe]

About 35 years late. That day's created such a fire storm.
But better late than never.....as never is what I feared would be.
Hopefully this can help.

Arlen,
Good advice and thanks for the reminder to watch our manners.

[ragged tiger]

Thanks for posting.

[macwilkin]

I noted several references in this thread to the U2 song; in 1987, a terrorist attack killed 11 innocent civilians at the Remembrance Day parade in Eniskillen. To his credit, Bono denounced that horrible crime on stage after singing this song.

May this thread follow U2's example and remind us that "The Troubles" produced victims on both sides.

T.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Anyone remember March 20, 1993?