Relatives march to mark Bloody Sunday 50 years on

Irish premier Micheal Martin said he opposed an amnesty for Troubles-era violence

People take part in the annual Bloody Sunday march on the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday. Picture date: Sunday January 30, 2022. PA

Relatives of those killed and injured on Bloody Sunday marched in Northern Ireland to mark 50 years since one of the deadliest days in the three-decade conflict known as The Troubles.

The march on Sunday retraced the route of the civil rights protest in Londonderry that ended with 13 people killed and 15 others injured when British soldiers fired on the demonstration on January 30, 1972.

Hundreds made their way to the Bloody Sunday Monument for the annual memorial service and wreath-laying ceremony.

The UK government apologised in 2010 after an official inquiry found that the soldiers fired without justification on unarmed, fleeing civilians and then lied about it for decades.

The report refuted an initial investigation that took place soon after the killings that said the soldiers had been defending themselves against Irish Republican Army bombers and gunmen. The episode continues to reverberate through British politics after prosecutors last year halted the case against the only soldier charged in connection with the killings.

The UK government also announced plans to end all criminal action related to The Troubles before 1998 because of the slim chances of successful prosecutions and to prevent Northern Ireland from being “hamstrung by its past”.

Michael McKinney, brother of William, who was among those killed on Bloody Sunday, criticised the controversial plans.

“They intend to announce it because they're scared,” he told the crowds. “Scared that their soldiers, spooks and civil servants will be exposed, and that their role as a combatant and catalyst in the war in Ireland will be highlighted around the world.

“But we want to send a very clear warning to the British government. If they pursue their proposals, the Bloody Sunday families will be ready to meet them head-on. We will not go away and we will not be silenced.”

The Irish premier Micheal Martin, who met families, said he was opposed to the proposed amnesty.

“Families need to know more in terms of who killed their loved ones and they need access to information, and that is why it's important that agreements are not just entered into, but are followed through,” he said.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson told Parliament on Wednesday that Bloody Sunday was “one of the darkest days in our history” and that the country “must learn from the past”. Irish President Michael D Higgins was expected to deliver a message to affected families on Sunday.