Bloody Sunday annual memorial service takes place on 53rd anniversary of massacre in Derry
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00:00The British government promised to repeal the shameful Legacy Act once elected,
00:06but they are now trying to cherry-pick this promise and retain some of the parts of that hated Act.
00:13This is not good enough, and we call on them to act with honour
00:17and introduce a way to deal with these Legacy cases for the works for all.
00:24We'll hear more on this in a few moments when we get an update from the family of Sean Brown,
00:30who have been seriously impacted by attempts to delay or deny proper investigation into Legacy cases.
00:42I am sure you will all join with us in wishing the Brown family well as they continue to fight their case,
00:49and the same for all our families in the same position.
00:53All deserve truth and justice.
00:56This year's commemoration of Glory Sunday is dedicated to those who are suffering in Palestine.
01:02There is now an uncertain ceasefire in Gaza, and we welcome the respite it has brought to our sisters and brothers here.
01:11The ceasefire must hold, and any attempt to break it must be faced with opposition from all.
01:18But we must also remember that
01:21October 7, 2023 was not the start of this conflict.
01:27It started in 1948 with the forced expulsion of the Palestinian people from their homes in Nakba.
01:37This ceasefire, welcome as it is, is not the end.
01:41The conflict will only end with peace, justice, and freedom for Palestine.
01:50And justice must still be done.
01:53The International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice case must continue to their rightful conclusion.
02:02The guilty should be convicted and punished, and no country should harbor or hide those who are fugitives from justice.
02:12The world must demand and enforce an end to genocide, an end to apartheid, and an end to illegal occupation of Palestinian lands.
02:23We must continue to protest and support until Palestinians can live in peace, until Palestine is free.
02:32One word, one struggle, until all are free.
02:38Before we finish, I would like us all to remember those who we have lost this past year, who we wish were here with us today.
02:49Siobhan McKinney, the wife of Art Peter.
02:55Jean Dolly, the wife of Jimmy Dolly.
03:04In their memory, and in the memory of all we have lost, we shall overcome. Thank you.
03:10I now invite Kay Dolly, the sister of Jackie Dolly, to come forward and say a prayer for peace.
03:34Please join with us in our much needed prayer for peace.
03:38O Heavenly Father, God of love and peace, send down the blessing of peace into our hearts, our homes, and our country.
03:47O Lord Jesus, you died to make peace between God and mankind.
03:52We long for justice and peace. Send us the gift of your peace.
03:57O Holy Spirit, you work always for our peace.
04:01Show us the value of peace. Take away all sorrow and hatred from our hearts.
04:07O Mary, Queen of Peace, we consecrate ourselves and our homes to your Immaculate Heart.
04:13Obtain for us the peace that you promised to the Word of Fatima.
04:17Pray for us now and always. Amen.
04:26I now invite Damon Brown, the grandson of Sean Brown, to come forward.
04:30Now, Sean Brown was murdered by the LDF in May 1997.
04:35They themselves are still fighting for justice for their loved one.
04:39Is Damon Brown there?
04:48On the night of 12th May 1997, my grandfather, Sean Brown, was abducted from the grounds of the Wolf Toes GAA club in Bligh,
04:57where he was locking up the club gates.
04:59A job that he had undertaken on many nights in a role as a club chairman.
05:04He was bundled into the back of his car and driven less than 10 miles to the outskirts of Ronaldstown,
05:10the journey which his killers took past the RUC station at Toon.
05:14He was taken from his car and shot six times in the head.
05:18His body was found a short time later beside his burnt-out car.
05:22What happened that night has resulted in us as a family fighting for answers to why my grandfather was abducted and murdered.
05:30My 87-year-old grandmother, Brady, is still waiting almost 28 years later for answers to her questions.
05:37Why Sean?
05:39And who wanted to kill an innocent man who treated everyone as equals and would do no one any harm?
05:46On the 2nd of February, 1972, we're burying our loved ones.
05:52So everybody's welcome, but also a special welcome to the Sean Brown family and also the Churchill family.
05:59So we will start the proceedings by the St. Mary's Choir who will sing the First Symphony.
06:16Stars are falling, Towns of Brighton fair,
06:25Winter is calling, Until the silent air,
06:36When the moon is covered by shadows of the night,
06:46Know that I am with you, To call you to the fight.
06:59Be still, oh, be still, For I am your heart.
07:10Be still now and listen, And you will hear my war.
07:21Be still, oh, be still, Deep within your life,
07:32For you will find me in the light.
07:48When souls are hurting, And we know not why,
07:58When hearts are broken, And children have to cry,
08:09When prayers are spoken, Late into the night,
08:19You will find your answer, If you call into the quiet.
08:32Be still, oh, be still, For I am your heart.
08:43Be still now and listen, And you will hear my war.
08:54Be still, oh, be still, Deep within your life,
09:05For you will find me in the light.
09:21I now invite Professor McKeown, Reverend David Jennings, Douglas Hassan and Reverend Kenny to lead us in prayer.
09:30But also Reverend David Latimer to send us his apologies today.
09:36I now invite Professor McKeown, Reverend David Jennings, Douglas Hassan and Reverend Kenny to lead us in prayer.
10:06I now invite Professor McKeown, Reverend David Jennings, Douglas Hassan and Reverend Kenny to lead us in prayer.
10:36I now invite Professor McKeown, Reverend David Jennings, Douglas Hassan and Reverend Kenny to lead us in prayer.
10:46I now invite Professor McKeown, Reverend David Jennings, Douglas Hassan and Reverend Kenny to lead us in prayer.
10:56I now invite Professor McKeown, Reverend David Jennings, Douglas Hassan and Reverend Kenny to lead us in prayer.
11:06I now invite Professor McKeown, Reverend David Jennings, Douglas Hassan and Reverend Kenny to lead us in prayer.
11:16In pain we remember human greatness and dignity, despite the calamaries that so many of us have to suffer.
11:23It helps us to major on the original Easter Rising, and not just be trapped by the cold rock of a tomb with a heavy, apparently amoebal stone, rolled across the entrance.
11:35So whatever your background, whatever your beliefs, can I invite you to remember the past in a way that enables us to fly, and not just to cry.
11:45It nourishes us with hope, and not just with sorrow or anger.
11:50That will give us a reason to come here each year to remember with love, and to look forward with hope.
11:56So I invite those who wish to, to mark themselves with the sign of the Liberating Cross.
12:02In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
12:08So now for a brief moment we pause and call to mind, in our own minds, the names of those whose lives were taken that bloody Sunday, all those 53 years ago.
12:22And then of course the many members who have died since.
12:26You were sent to heal the contrite of heart, Lord have mercy.
12:34You came to call sinners, Christ have mercy.
12:38And you prayed for us at the right hand of the Father, Lord have mercy.
12:42And to me, Almighty God, have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.
12:48Now we listen to God's word from St Matthew's Beatitudes.
12:53Seeing the crowds, he went up the hill.
12:58There he sat down and was joined by his disciples.
13:01Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them.
13:05How happy are the poor in spirit, theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
13:10Happy the gentle, they shall have the earth for their heritage.
13:14Happy those who mourn, they shall be comforted.
13:19Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right, they shall be satisfied.
13:25Happy the merciful, they shall have mercy shown them.
13:29Happy the pure in heart, they shall see God.
13:33Happy the peacemakers, they shall be called sons of God.
13:38Happy those who are persecuted in the cause of right, theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
13:44Happy are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account.
13:51Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.
13:55This is how they persecuted the prophets before you.
13:59The Gospel of Christ.
14:06Now for a brief moment we turn to God our Father in prayer.
14:11First of all, Lord, for each other as we gather here together this morning from our different faiths, different backgrounds, perhaps no faith background.
14:21Lord, we pray asking that each of us in our own different situations may experience only the peace that you, our Savior, can give.
14:31Lord, hear us.
14:34Lord, we're very aware of, as mentioned earlier, of conflicts in so many countries throughout the world.
14:40And we're conscious that Jesus is speaking the Beatitude to the gift of peace.
14:45So we pray that all of us have the courage to strive for justice and lasting peace at home and indeed throughout the world.
14:52Lord, hear us.
14:55Lord, we pray for the many people in so many countries throughout our world who are being persecuted.
15:03Lord, that they may be encouraged to know that they have our support and indeed our prayers.
15:08Lord, hear us.
15:11And I'm always very conscious of terrible tragedy in our roads and conscious of many people who travel here on this occasion and travel into our city this weekend.
15:20So Lord, we pray that you watch over and protect all of us, particularly as we journey.
15:24Lord, hear us.
15:27Now for a moment we remember those whose lives were taken on that first bloody Sunday.
15:31And, of course, those who have died subsequently.
15:36Lord, that they inherit the peace and happiness of your kingdom.
15:40Lord, hear us.
15:42And we bring all our prayers together in that prayer which Jesus himself taught us as we say,
15:46Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
15:51Thy kingdom come.
15:53Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
15:56Give us this day our daily bread.
15:59And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
16:04And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
16:08For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
16:13And as was mentioned earlier, the Reverend Attermore, thank God his date's mixed up.
16:18And he has a family occasion this weekend.
16:21And is not able to be with us and sends his thoughts and prayers.
16:32Peace be upon you all.
16:36I'm very honored and grateful to be here today amongst you in the Bloody Sunday Remembrance Day.
16:44As we gather to commemorate the anniversary of the Bloody Sunday,
16:48we are reminded of the blood spilled in the pursuit of justice.
16:53And the cries of the oppressed.
16:56And the resilience of those who refused to be silenced.
17:00We remember the sacrifices made in the face of oppression.
17:05And we honor the legacy of those who stood firm against injustice.
17:12Today, as we remember the Bloody Sunday,
17:15we are reminded that the struggle for justice is not new.
17:22From the civil rights movement to the anti-apartheid struggle.
17:27From the streets of Dari to the streets of Gaza.
17:31The fight against oppression has always been met with resistance.
17:37Our faith is built upon the pillars of justice, mercy, and steadfastness.
17:44Justice is not an option.
17:47It is an obligation.
17:49It is the duty of every human being to stand against oppression.
17:54No matter who the oppressor is.
17:57Even if this oppressor shares the same race, color, or faith.
18:03The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, taught us that
18:06help your brother whether he is an oppressor or the oppressed.
18:14He was asked, we understand helping him the oppressed,
18:18but how can we help the oppressor?
18:22And he replied by stopping him from oppressing others.
18:27Also, the Bible commands to stand up for justice in this life
18:31before the next.
18:33I quote, speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.
18:37Ensure justice for those being crushed.
18:42Unfortunately, for the last 15 months,
18:45we have been witnessing with heavy hearts the oppression,
18:49the genocide in Gaza unfolding before our eyes.
18:53And despite of the calm, fragile truth,
18:56the killing still ongoing in the West Bank and even in Gaza.
19:01And the plans are being pushed at the highest levels
19:05to ethnically cleanse the Palestinians completely out of their lands
19:09to neighboring countries and across the world.
19:13Today, our brothers and sisters in Palestine still need us.
19:18Not just our prayers, but our voices, our actions,
19:22and our unwavering solidarity.
19:26The same system of oppression that took innocent lives in the bloody Sunday
19:31is the same system that slaughtered the kids in Gaza.
19:35It is the same system that allowed oppression to thrive in different parts of the world.
19:41It is the same injustice repackaged under different flags.
19:46History has shown us that no oppression lasts forever.
19:51But humanity does not learn from history.
19:55Millions died by oppression.
19:58In Algeria, by France.
20:00In the Holocaust, by Germany.
20:02In Iraq, by the US and UK.
20:04In Syria, by the Assad regime.
20:07In apartheid South Africa, against the black.
20:10Yet, the people overcome it.
20:13Did the oppressors win?
20:15They did not.
20:17But the everlasting shame of their deeds
20:21stains them as it gets engraved in the memory of the history.
20:26Let this be a source of hope for us all.
20:30That the oppressors will be defeated.
20:33We might see another episode of oppression
20:37from a different oppressor.
20:39But this is the nature of this life.
20:42A struggle between good and evil.
20:45A test for us to see which side we will be in.
20:50Which group we will be among in this life.
20:54And that is what determines our destiny in the hereafter.
20:59So let us honor the memory of bloody Sunday
21:02by ensuring that history does not repeat itself.
21:06Let us be among the people that stood for Palestinians.
21:10That stood for justice.
21:12That stood for peace.
21:14Let us be seekers of justice and peace.
21:18Oh God, you are peace.
21:20And from you is peace.
21:22And to you returns peace.
21:24So let us live our Lord in peace.
21:27Amen.
21:28The peace and mercy of God be upon you all.
21:31Thank you very much.
21:33I now invite Kevin McEhoney, the brother of Kevin McEhoney,
21:44to read the names of the dead and the injured on Bloody Sunday.
21:49But also, as he does so, I request that the families
21:53play the funeral tributes at the same time.
22:09Who was murdered?
22:11Patrick Dougherty.
22:13Gerald Ihey.
22:18Jackie Duddy.
22:20Hugh Gilmore.
22:23Michael Kelly.
22:25Michael McDade.
22:28Kevin McEhoney.
22:31Bernard McGuigan.
22:34Gerald McKinney.
22:38William McKinney.
22:41William Nash.
22:44James Ray.
22:47John Young.
22:50John Johnston.
22:54And those wounded?
22:57Patrick Campbell, deceased.
23:00Peggy Deary, deceased.
23:05Alex Nash.
23:07Alexander Nash, deceased.
23:10Daniel McGowan, deceased.
23:13Patrick O'Donoghue, deceased.
23:17Daniel Gillespie, deceased.
23:20Michael Bradley, deceased.
23:24Pius McCarran, deceased.
23:28Patrick Brawley, deceased.
23:32Thomas Harkin, deceased.
23:36Michael Bridges.
23:38Alana Burke.
23:40Damian Donahue.
23:42Joseph Freel.
23:45Joseph Maham.
23:47Patrick McDade.
23:50Michael Quinn.
23:57I don't know if that's the mayor of Derry.
23:59There's a large area of the region they have.
24:01Derry seems to ban music concerts.
24:21And anyone else with a floral tribute?
24:30Okay, so we'll now have a minute's silence in memory of our locals.
24:50Silence.
25:20Silence.
25:30I now ask Mickey McKinney, the brother of Willie McKinney, to read the family statement.
25:42Good morning, everyone.
25:45My name is Mickey McKinney.
25:47I'm the brother of Willie McKinney, who was murdered in Bloody Sunday.
25:51On behalf of the families of the men and boys murdered in Bloody Sunday,
25:55and those wounded, I would like to welcome you all here today
25:59as we mark the 53rd anniversary of Bloody Sunday.
26:04Next month we'll mark the 25th anniversary of the commencement of the public hearings
26:10of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry.
26:13After the joy and triumph of the Declaration of Innocence,
26:17the truth finally being sent free in June 2010,
26:22tinged with the disappointment regarding the staying late
26:26on the character of young Gerard Donaghy,
26:29who had four nail bombs planted in his body,
26:32and with the formal repudiation of the fighting of the Woodry,
26:36what whitewash.
26:38The Bloody Sunday families and wounded,
26:41and the people of Derry and their supporters across the globe,
26:44continue to battle,
26:48secure the third and final demand of the Bloody Sunday justice campaign,
26:54vowed to achieve when we fought in 1993.
27:00We have fought them every step of the way.
27:03We fought for 50 years to get the truth.
27:06We will, if necessary, fight for 50 years.
27:09What happened on the streets on the 30th of January 1972,
27:14and what happened in the gates of Wolftown's GAA club in Blighe
27:19on the night of 12th of May 1987.
27:22We have many similarities, the lies, the cover-up, the state-sanctioned murder.
27:28The people of Derry, whether city or county,
27:31stand together to fight for justice,
27:34justice that our loved ones truly deserve.
27:39APPLAUSE
27:45We are calling on Sinn Féin, the SALP, People Before Profit,
27:51Independents and others on Derry City and Strabane District Council
27:57to work together to firmly reject the finding
28:01that Gerard was probably carrying nail bombs when he was murdered,
28:06and to explore possible civic means to publicly reaffirm his innocence
28:12and remove the stain left on his character
28:15and the pain left for our family by this unsustainable finding.
28:21To remind people of the evidence in favour of Gerard's innocence,
28:26the film of the re-enactment of the evidence we produced in 2012
28:32will be shown at 1pm every day this coming week in the Museum of Free Derry.
28:38All welcome. Thank you.
28:40APPLAUSE
28:46Before we close, I'd like to thank everyone for coming here today,
28:50but also I'd like to mention Julianne Campbell.
28:52Julianne, a lot of people know Julianne, she talked a little bit during the week,
28:56but thank God she's starting to come around a bit,
28:58so hopefully you'll have her in your flats.
29:00But also, on a lighter note, it's Derry Duddy's birthday today.
29:04APPLAUSE
29:11So therefore I will finish now with a Samaritan choir singing the Last Tent.
29:15Thank you very much.
29:30LAST TENT
29:35May the road rise to meet you
29:40May the wind be at your side
29:45May the sunshine warm upon your face
29:55May the rain fall softly on your face
30:00And until we meet again
30:05May you keep safe in the gentle
30:11Loving arms of stone
30:16For everything there is this season
30:22A time for loving and time for letting go
30:28In all things God is near
30:32Always guiding your way
30:40May the road rise to meet you
30:45May the wind be at your side
30:50May the sunshine warm upon your face
31:00May the rain fall softly on your face
31:05And until we meet again
31:10May you keep safe in the gentle
31:16Loving arms of God
31:23APPLAUSE