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January 29, 2006

Thousands Turn Out For Bloody Sunday March

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News About Ireland & The Irish

UT 01/29/06 Thousands Turn Out For Bloody Sunday March
SF 01/29/06 Text Of Bloody Sunday SF Speech

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http://u.tv/newsroom/indepth.asp?id=69811&pt=n

Thousands Turn Out For Bloody Sunday March

Several thousand people today took part in the annual
Bloody Sunday commemoration march in Derry.

The large crowd marked the 34th anniversary of the killing
of 13 innocent civilians by members of the Parachute
Regiment on January 30 1972.

It was expected to be the final march before the Bloody
Sunday Inquiry team, headed by Lord Saville of Newdigate,
reports the findings of its mammoth £150 million hearing -
the longest inquiry in British legal history.

Sinn Fein Assembly member Raymond McCartney warned that the
people of Derry would settle for nothing but the truth of
what happened that distant day.

Addressing the crowds, he said that when Lord Saville and
his two colleagues report "they must keep in their minds
one of the great lessons of Bloody Sunday that if the truth
of that day is in anyway suppressed then the quest for the
truth remains as fresh as it was all those years ago."

Mr McCartney gave evidence to the Saville tribunal
detailing how the events of Bloody Sunday prompted him to
join the IRA - he went on to murder an English businessman
in the city - and to take part in the Maze Prison hunger
strike.

He said the the inquiry team: "It is up to them to place
blame on those who are to blame and to place guilt on those
who are guilty.

"The men shot dead that day, the men and women wounded that
day - were deliberate acts - there is no escape from
declaring that it was murder and attempted murder, no ifs,
no buts."

The Foyle MLA said he wanted to commend the families of
those killed and the wounded for their "dignity, integrity
and endurance on what has been a long journey in their
campaign for justice and truth."

One of Northern Ireland`s youngest politicians, SDLP
Councillor Colum Eastwood, born 14 years after Bloody
Sunday, said he marched in solidarity with the families and
those injured.

"You stood tall for truth against the lies and cover-up of
Widgery. You will stand only for full truth from Saville.

"In the face of provocation, insult and abuse, your dignity
has shone through. Whatever may come in the time ahead,
your cause will win through."

The 20-year-old said his generation wanted to move forward
and build an Ireland where conflict, division and despair
would be the footnotes of a tragic history.

But, he said, to get to the future he wanted, the past had
to be left behind on a moral basis, with no cover-ups and
by putting victims and survivors first.

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http://www.sinnfein.ie/news/detail/12827

Mccartney - Time For Excuses Is Over - The Time To Advance
The Peace Process Is Now

Published: 29 January, 2006

Sinn Féin MLA Raymond McCartney speaking at the annual
Bloody Sunday commemoration in Derry said "Now is the time
for all those who are genuinely interested in seeing power
sharing in the north and the peace process advanced to show
leadership and make a real and genuine effort to end the
political vacuum.

"Last year despite all of the short term difficulties and
obstacles placed in the way of progress the IRA looked to
the future and took the decision to end its armed campaign
and deal with the issue of arms. They set out their intent
to further their objectives by peaceful means.

"Let us not lose sight of the enormity of what took place
and the opportunity that it has opened up. Those who
oppose change will hide behind private briefings from
Special Branch, which are then passed on to those in the
rest home for retired spooks in the IMC. The time for
excuses is over.

Republicans have set out our intentions. We have shown our
commitment to the peace process by our words and actions.
Others need to do the same. "ENDS

Full text

Ar dtus ba mhaith mo chuid bhuiochas a thabhairt do
eagarthoiri an rally seo – is mor an onoir domh a bheith a
labhairt libh inniu.

Ta muid anseo chun chuimhniu a thabhairt do na ceathair
fear is deich a scaoileadh chun bas trocha ceathat bliain o
shin.

I consider it a great honour to have been asked to address
this Bloody Sunday commemorative rally on behalf of Sinn
Fein and I thank the organizers for the opportunity to do
so. Mile buiochas agus go raibh maith agaibh.

I acknowledge the presence of Martin Doherty – the only
person the British legal system has prosecuted and jailed
in relation to Bloody Sunday. Martin, tá failte romhat.

Sunday January 30th 1972, Bloody Sunday, remains for me one
of the most seminal days in my life and I know that
experience is one shared by many of my generation.

Whatever idealism we had that the Civil Rights Movement
could deliver for us - equality of opportunity and
citizenship.

Whatever hope we had that those who created and nurtured
the Northern state would accede to those demands - ended -
as we watched the First Battalion of the parachute regiment
charge up this street that fateful day thirty four years
ago.

Our hope and idealism collided with the might of the
British state and it lay crushed alongside those who were
killed and wounded only yards from where we now gather.

The British state and its unionist allies could not contend
with giving nationalists and republicans equality – because
the Northern state was formed and maintained on inequality
and injustice.

Those in power often use the policy of placing blame on
those who are without blame - and guilt on those who are
without guilt.

They decree that political opposition is unlawful and that
its activists are classed as - enemies of the state – and
therefore - not true democrats – all neatly packaged within
a policy of demonisation and criminalisation.

That is why the march on Bloody Sunday was deemed illegal
and banned.

That is why within moments of its’ soldiers killing and
wounding unarmed civil rights’ demonstrators the British
Information Service informed the world that those killed
and wounded were carrying and using arms, that they were
high on the Britain’s wanted list for imprisonment.

And even though they inflicted a high cost of human life
and suffering – their lies and their plan failed - it
failed because the families of those killed, those wounded,
and those who survived - vowed that the truth of Bloody
Sunday would be told and acknowledged.

So when Lord Saville reports, perhaps later this year, they
must keep in their minds one of the great lessons of
Bloody Sunday - that if the truth of that day is in anyway
suppressed – then the quest for the truth remains as fresh
as it was all those years ago.

It is up to them - to place blame on those who are to blame
- and to place guilt on those who are guilty.

The men shot dead that day, the men and women wounded that
day – were deliberate acts – there is no escape from
declaring - that it was murder and attempted murder – no
ifs – no buts.

Kay Duddy has already today outlined the families’
expectations of the Inquiry – it is not a wish list but the
acknowledgement of proven and tested fact.

I would like to take this opportunity to commend the
families and the wounded for their dignity, integrity and
endurance on what has been a long journey in their campaign
for justice and truth.

The standard which’ they have raised, has been a beacon for
many others in journeys - also not yet completed.

The theme selected for the weekend’s programme of events
was Towards Justice and your example has directed others on
the way ahead.

Mark Thompson has outlined how the search for truth and
justice for those killed and injured by British state
violence continues and we in Sinn Fein will do all we can
in assisting that quest.

There will be obstacles in our way but our task is somewhat
easier because we have brought an end to the days when
those in power believe that we will accept second class
citizenship. Those days are gone and they are gone because
of the selfless sacrifices made by many people over the
course of the last thirty years and beyond.

The cornerstone of the Sinn Fein peace strategy is
equality. Equality means change.

Change in our health services, in our education systems, in
the way our economy is organized.

Change in how we are policed.

Let there be no mistake - change is required throughout the
length and breadth of this island – north, south, east and
west.

Sinn Fein will work to bring about that change.

The leadership of political unionism in the north fear
change and that is why they refuse to engage with
republicans and oppose power sharing . They have run out
of excuses, their rationale for not engaging with
republicans is thread bare.

Now is the time for all those who are genuinely interested
in seeing power sharing in the north and the peace process
advanced - to show leadership and make a real and genuine
effort to end the political vacuum.

Last year despite all of the short term difficulties and
obstacles placed in the way of progress the IRA looked to
the future and took the decision to end its armed campaign
and deal with the issue of arms. They set out their intent
to further their objectives by peaceful means.

Let us not lose sight of the enormity of what took place
and the opportunity that it has opened up. Those who
oppose change will hide behind private briefings from
Special Branch, which are then passed on to those in the
rest home for retired spooks in the IMC.

The time for excuses is over.

Now is the time for those in political leadership to do our
job.

Republicans have set out our intentions. We have shown our
commitment to the peace process by our words and actions.
Others need to do the same.

Sinn Féin is determined that the opportunities presented by
the IRA initiative are not squandered. There are major
challenges ahead and in particular for the British
government and the unionist parties.

Republicans have no fear of the challenges ahead and we
face the future confident and determined.

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