Bloody Sunday Trust joins Irish Anti-Apartheid Campaign for Palestine

Derry’s Bloody Sunday Trust has joined the Irish Anti-Apartheid Campaign for Palestine.

Speaking to Derry Now, Maeve Mc Laughlin, Director of the Bloody Sunday Trust explained: “Derry has a long history of solidarity with the cause of Palestine and a proud tradition of facing injustice wherever it is. 

“Given our lessons and learnings around justice, rights and equality we felt that these experiences should be harnessed to tackle injustice wherever it exists, and nowhere is this more clearly demonstrated than in the cause of Palestine.

“There is no possible justification for a system built around the institutionalised and prolonged racist oppression of millions of people. 

“Apartheid had no place in our world when it was practised in South Africa, and it has no place now in Palestine.”

The Irish Anti-Apartheid Campaign, which is made up of eighteen civil society organisations, trade unions and academic experts, is committed to “working collaboratively to end Israeli apartheid against Palestinians”. 

It was launched in November 2022 in Dublin by Independent Senator Frances Black, a long-time campaigner for Palestinian rights.

According to Maeve Mc Laughlin, the Bloody Sunday Trust was honoured to have taken its place within the Campaign, which has called on Ireland and the international community to “publicly recognise that the State of Israel is committing the crime of apartheid against the Palestinian people, and to take concrete measures to end this crime against humanity”. 

She added: “Through shared actions, campaigns and advocacy initiatives the group has pledged to engage members of the Irish public and political representatives on the situation Palestinians are being forced to endure, and to build political support for effective measures by Ireland and the international community to condemn Israel’s actions and to end the crime of apartheid against Palestinians.” 

Ms McLaughlin said the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday had been themed under the banner of One World One Struggle.  

“Those states who choose to make excuses for Israel will find themselves on the wrong side of history when this injustice is properly recognised and condemned by all,” she said. “May sees the 75th anniversary of the Nakba. [However] by shifting the historical centrality of the narrative away from the Nakba, Israel and its apologists have tried to erase the most significant and traumatic event in Palestinian history from the historical record.  

“They have worked to erase the memory of the ethnic cleansing of over 530 Palestinian towns and villages, and the expulsion of over 750,000 Palestinians.  They want to make the descendants of those who were expelled invisible even though they now number in millions.

“The Bloody Sunday Trust and Museum of Free Derry will mark this Nakba day with a series of events on May 15. These will include the raising of the Palestinian flag on Free Derry Corner and a message of support and solidarity from the Bloody Sunday families in the morning. 

“There will also be a series of film screenings in the Museum of Free Derry during the afternoon, and at 7pm on May 15 This is Radio Free Derry Calling, an evening of support and solidarity in the Museum of Free Derry, with more messages of support from prominent supporters, music, poetry, refreshments and raffles. The evening will also include a special message from Dr Mustafa Barghouti of the Palestinian National Initiative.”

Further details will be released through Bloody Sunday Trust and Museum of Free Derry social media and usual media outlets. All amounts raised that day, together with the day’s takings from the Museum of Free Derry will be donated to the Palestinian National Initiative as part of the Bloody Sunday Trust’s partnership with the Initiative.