35th Anniversary of Bloody Sunday March, Derry.

derry | rights, freedoms and repression | feature

Wednesday January 31, 2007 12:16

by Paula Geraghty / Shaner

mspgeraghty at yahoo dot ie

Thousands gathered in the Creggan, in Derry, Northern Ireland last Sunday to commemorate the murder of civilians by British Paratroopers in 1972.

The vote by Sinn Féin to accept the Northern police was expected, but not unanimously welcome. Anonymous grafitti and a protest banner unfurled during the speeches signalled the disquiet with Sinn Féin's new departure. However, much of the anti-Sinn Féin grafitti had been obscured overnight while Martina Anderson, the Sinn Féin speaker at the rally, said that Sinn Fein's new role would act a check on the PSNI, holding them accountable.

There was an all female platform of invited speakers including a representative from SF, SDLP, Maura Harrington of the Shell to Sea Campaign and the Davitt League and Jamilla Asleh, who's son was killed by Israeli military

Paula's Images (c)

Down through the Creggan, overlooking the Foyle

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Comments (12 of 12)

Real bullets

by EOM

Sat Feb 03, 2007 11:06

The difference between the atrocities of the like committed on Bloody Sunday and other killings of civilians during the conflict, is that the people killed in Derry were peaceful protesters, attempting to sway government policy by the time honoured tradition of marching and making speeches, and their government responded by sending in assault troops to kill them.

The British government then blackened the names of the dead by saying they were criminals, terrorists and whatever, while the soldiers and officers who carried out the murders were promoted, rewarded, and presented with medals by the British Royal Family.

There is big difference in being killed by a terrorist bomb, and being killed by your own government. Taxes paid by those murdered had contributed to pay for the bullets which killed them. What do you call it when a government, instead of protecting its citizens, begins to murder them? We called it the end.

You should also bear in mind that many would argue that the extreme violence of the likes of the Birmingham bombing was only possible BECAUSE of Bloody Sunday.

In the USA , the government embraced the civil rights marchers and faced down the bigoted local politicians of the Southern states. The British government did the opposite, supporting the bigots and the murderers and destroying the idea of marching for civil rights in Ireland by shooting it off the streets in Derry.

whodunnit?

by Chris McCabe

Fri Feb 02, 2007 20:37

Paula & Shaner: Good report & pics on an action which still needs to go on until what happened that Sunday is admitted.

still more heroes

by shaner - Hawks' happy navigation crew never gets lost

Wed Jan 31, 2007 15:14

shaneocurry at fastmail dot fm

Ok so the portraits of Michael McDaid and of Mairtín Ó Cadháin weren't exactly on the march route ...

all photos by me are copyleft - if you want higher resolution copies, email me.

Michael McDaid, murdered on Bloody Sunday.

Ainmaithe ag an Gaeláras; Máirtín Ó Cadháin, gael, republican, socialist revolutionary.

deartháireacha ó Catalunya agus Euskal Herria

teen-tifada

an Garda Síochána

keeping the memory of those killed alive

by dunk

Tue Jan 30, 2007 17:45

Fine photo report, graet prints on walls of those murdered- powerfull stuff. Same battle, different places.

more heroes

by shaner

Tue Jan 30, 2007 12:37

Toussaint l'Ouverture. Republican leader of "Black Jacobins" slave revolution. Founding father of modern Haiti. Nominated by Anti Racist Network

8 days a week, the Raytheon 9 banner

Go n'eirigh an bothair linn, Eirigi set off on the route

Watching you watching me watching him, Stephen and Jim in front of Asel Asleh's portrait

The Thompson gang - my heroes - their mother Kathleen, an organiser and activist, was murdered by the British Army at their Creggan home.

heroes on the wall

Tue Jan 30, 2007 11:46

Gerald Donaghy, who was murdered on Blody Sunday

FEIC nominee: Mary Ann McCracken. Abolitionist, social reformer, womens rights activist. Sister of '98er Henry Joy.

Bloody Sunday Trust nominee; Kate Nash.

Shell-chun-Saile nominee: Ken Saro Wiwa, writer, activist for the rights of Ogoni people against Shell Oil, executed by the Nigerian State.

Mairead Farrell, revolutionary leader, feminist, hunger striker, executed by the British State. Nominated by the Bogside & Brandywell Womens' group.

unsung heroes

Tue Jan 30, 2007 02:04

Youth from Balata camp, Palestine. Nominated by Bluebell Arts.

Kevin McIlhinney, Murdered on Bloody Sunday

William McKinney, murdered on Bloody sunday

Dermie McClenaghan, with Colm, Kieran, young woman in white coat (sorry, I forgot her name) and Eamonn McCann, all of Raytheon 9 fame

Jim Wray (tallest at back), murdered on Bloody Sunday, McCartney brothers + youngfella

more unsung heroes

Tue Jan 30, 2007 01:27

Asel Asleh, Palestinian citizen of Israel murdered in Oct 2000 by Israeli Police

John Johnson, murdered on Bloody Sunday, and his wife.

I can't believe it's not Caoimhe! With Kieran Gallagher and Colm Bryce of the Raytheon 9

Nominated by the Pat Finucane Centre; Rosemary Nelson, solicitor murdered by British State - loyalist pseudo-gang

Paddy Doherty, murdered on Bloody Sunday, with his wife

Mon Jan 29, 2007 23:14

some pictures to add to the above, including ones of the bluebell arts initiative were different people and groups were asked to nominate unsung heroes. These pictures were (for the most part) put up along the march route.

Jackie Duddy, who was murdered on Bloody Sunday