Unjustified and Unjustifiable: Bloody Sunday 40 years later

Bishop Edward Daily waves a blood stained white handkerchief as he leads a group trying to move fatally wounded Jackie Duddy to safety.

Today marks the 40^th anniversary of Bloody Sunday.  On January 30^th, 1972 thousands marched in Derry/Londonderry for civil rights, protesting against the then common practice of internment without trial.  British soldiers of the elite parachute regiment fired live rounds at innocent marchers, killing fourteen people. The British government tried to justify the murders by labeling the victims as gunmen and terrorists.

The march has continued each year on the anniversary of Bloody Sunday, remembering the dead and seeking truth and justice.  Lord Saville’s inquiry, lasting twelve years, was finally released June 15^th, 2010.  The report acknowledged the innocence of the victims on Bloody Sunday and Prime Minister David Cameron apologized for the “unjustified and unjustifiable” killings.  The report as well as the apology by David Cameron were celebrated joyously, bringing a long  awaited sense of vindication.

39th Anniversary march

With their loved ones names finally cleared, most of the victims’ families felt the march did not need to continue; last year’s march would be the last.  I walked with the people of Derry that day and saw a solemn dignity and weary relief.  The march usually stopped at the Free Derry corner, as the first march had, but this time most completed the intended original route to the Guildhall.

While it is obvious that significant steps have recently been made in dealing with the huge legacy of the events of that day, how to move forward now is less clear.  Despite the important sense of acknowledgment and “vindication”,  several of the victim’s family members felt it was important to continue the march.  And so, a smaller group continued that commemoration yesterday.

That community continues to grapple with their needs for truth and justice, their hopes to heal and their strong desire to do right by their loved ones lost.  Similar needs and questions exist around the country as a new juncture is approaching in dealing with a difficult and ever-present past.