Northern Ireland

Bloody Sunday march could be replaced by symbolic 'walk'

Kate Nash, pictured with fellow organiser, Jim Wray, said the annual Bloody Sunday march could be replaced with a symbolic walk. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin
Kate Nash, pictured with fellow organiser, Jim Wray, said the annual Bloody Sunday march could be replaced with a symbolic walk. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin Kate Nash, pictured with fellow organiser, Jim Wray, said the annual Bloody Sunday march could be replaced with a symbolic walk. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin

Next year’s annual Bloody Sunday commemoration march may be replaced by a symbolic walk by 14 people carrying white crosses representing the 14 victims who died in the 1972 massacre.

While the majority of Bloody Sunday families no longer support the annual event, large numbers from across the North and from Scotland still attend the march, commemorating the January 30, 1972 killings. Thirteen anti-internment protesters were shot dead by British Paratroopers with a 14th victim, John Johnston dying later from his wounds.

Following the 2010 publication of the Saville Report which exonerated the dead and wounded and then Prime Minister, David Cameron’s public apology, the majority of Bloody Sunday families decided not to take part in the annual march but to commemorate the date in other ways. However, relatives of some of the dead and wounded opted to continue the march which retraces the route of the original demonstration.

One of the organisers, Kate Nash said no firm decisions have yet been taken for next year’s 49th anniversary march in light of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Ms Nash – whose brother William was shot dead and whose father, Alex was wounded – said a number of options were being considered.

“One thing we might do is have 14 people carrying crosses walking along the route of the march, socially distanced of course.”

Ms Nash said if the symbolic walk went ahead, organisers would also ask any supporters who lived along the route to stand at their front doors and wave as they passed.

“We are waiting to see what happens before we make any firm decisions but no invitations have gone out to bands or anything like that. Of course, there is no way we’ll be putting anyone’s health at risk; it’s a case of wait and see but whatever happens we’ll be obeying all the restrictions,” she said.

She said that, apart from the march, the usual week-long programme of commemorative events would continue but would go ahead online.

“The beauty of that is that people will be able to take part on Zoom from all over the world,” Ms Nash said.