By Julia Bale
Last week was the 25th anniversary of Bloody Sunday in Northern Ireland.
On January 30, 1972, troops from the First Parachute Regiment of the British Army opened fire on peaceful civil rights protesters in Derry. The 10,000-strong parade, which was declared illegal, was marching against internment without trial, introduced by the British government six months earlier. Thirteen civilians were shot dead that day, many more were wounded and one died later from his wounds.
Commencing at 3pm, the march began peacefully at the Bishop's Field, heading towards Free Derry Corner where Bernadette Devlin, the 23-year-old MP for Mid Ulster was due to speak. It was a sunny afternoon, people were in good spirits, and mothers were pushing prams and children playing. There was a small group of stone throwers in the group, but most people were just watching.
By the time the protesters had progressed down Rossville Street and on to Free Derry Corner, many had already been pelted with water cannons and purple dye. Choking CS gas was also being sprayed, and plastic bullets were being fired.
At 3.55pm, without warning, the first self-loading rifle shots cut through the air as paratroopers advanced on the unarmed civilians. The momentarily stunned crowd turned into a chaotic scramble as a long explosion of high velocity bullets burst into them.
The soldiers aimed specifically at young men. Seventeen-year-old Jackie Duddy gasped as he was struck by the bullet that killed him, knocking him down in the courtyard of Rossville Flats. Michael Kelly, also 17, ran to help a wounded man and was shot in the stomach and killed.
The shooting continued for about 20 minutes. James Wray, 22, fell to the ground wounded. The troops fired at people trying to help him, using James as bait. His father looked on helplessly as James lay there screaming before a soldier shot and killed him from a distance of nine feet.
Gerald McKinney, 34, was standing with his hands above his head when he was shot at point blank range in the chest. William McKinney, 27, ran to his aid. William was shot dead as he bent over Gerald's body.
From the windows of Rossville Flats, people were screaming out support for 17-year-old John Young as he dragged himself, wounded, to the door and safety. "Come on lad, come on, you're nearly there." He never made it; he was shot in the head and killed.
Gerard Donaghy, 17, was running away when he was shot dead. Michael McDaid, 20, was killed at the barricade along Rossville Street. Nineteen-year-old William Nash was at the same barricade when he was shot and killed. His father, Alex, was shot twice in the chest as he bent over William's body shouting at the soldiers to stop shooting. Alex survived.
The street had turned into a killing field. Anyone who moved was picked off by snipers. Patrick Doherty, 31, was killed as he crawled along the ground to retrieve one of the wounded. Bernard McGuigan, 41, was crawling towards Patrick's body holding a white handkerchief in the air. He was shot in the head, killed instantly. Kevin McElhinney, 17, was also crawling when he was shot dead. Hugh Gilmore, 17, was trying to run away when he was shot and killed.
Not one shot was fired at British soldiers on Bloody Sunday. There is no evidence that any of the murdered Irishmen were engaged in attacking soldiers at the time of their deaths.
International interest in the events sparked an inquiry. The British government-appointed Widgery Tribunal found the soldiers not guilty of murdering the 13 Irishmen. In fact, the following year, the officer in command, Lieutenant Colonel Derek Wilford, was named on the Queen's "Honours List" and given a knighthood. Prince Charles is "ceremonial" commanding officer of the regiment involved.
Major Hubert O'Neill, the coroner in the much-delayed inquest into Bloody Sunday, issued a statement in August 1973 saying: "These people may have been taking part in a march that was banned, but that does not justify the troops coming in and firing live rounds indiscriminately. I would say without hesitation that it was sheer, unadulterated murder. It was murder."
This was the largest massacre of civilians by the military anywhere in Europe since the second world war. The British government and army never apologised for these murders.
The people responsible must be held accountable. We must neither forget nor ignore Bloody Sunday. If we are complacent, events like this will continue to happen.