WATCH: Derry stops to remember Bloody Sunday

A short ceremony has taken place at the Monument in Derry's Bogside to mark the 52nd anniversary of Bloody Sunday, (January 30, 1972).

Organised by the Bloody Sunday Trust, the commemoration began with John Kelly - brother of Bloody Sunday victim Michael Kelly, reading the names of those murdered and injured on Bloody Sunday, after which a minute's silence was observed.

WATCH: John Kelly, brother of Bloody Sunday victim Michael Kelly, reading the names of those murdered and injured on Bloody Sunday, after which a minute's silence was observed.

At Derry's Bloody Sunday Monument, on January 30, 2024 - 52nd Anniversary of Bloody Sunday. pic.twitter.com/BeXmSOBX07

— Derry Now (@DerryNow) January 31, 2024

Paul Doherty, son of Bloody Sunday victim Patrick Doherty, then spoke. He highlighted the "injustice" of the British Government's new Legacy Act and the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

He said: "As we gather here, you all know the case against Soldier F is proceeding. We are waiting for his arraignment, which will hopefully give us a date for the murder trial. F murdered five on Bloody Sunday, though he has only been charged with two murders and wounding five others. This is a disgrace. But at least he has been charged. We all hope for a conviction for the Wray and McKinney families and for a conviction for us all. We will never give up on this.

"We must see at least some justice for Bloody Sunday, even while the other murders from the day and those who gave the orders for murder and the political cover for murder, walk free.

"You will also know of the passing of the British Government's shameful Legacy Act. While this Act should not affect us, we remain acutely aware of the other families that this terrible act robs of access to truth and justice.

"This act has been passed to prevent proper investigation of British crimes here. It has been passed because so many of the investigations and inquests into state violence were getting to the truth. They were highlighting British murders here, showing their claim to be a peacekeeping force to be the lie it always was. 

"We stand with all the families who will be affected by this act. We stand with all who are fighting against it. There must be proper investigations. There must be access to truth and justice," said Paul Doherty.

He added: "This year as we remember Bloody Sunday, we do so in the dark shadow of the genocide being carried out against innocent people in another part of the world. 

"We know that over 25,000 people have been killed in Palestine, more than 10,000 of them children. This is happening in full view of the world's politicians and media. It is a genocide being carried out in plain sight. It must be condemned. It must be stopped. It must be treated as the war crime it is and those responsible must be brought to justice.

"There must be no form of international legacy act or some other rubbish excuse to cover the war crimes committed by the Israeli army and Government.

"Let me quote some of the words of Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh when she stood on behalf of the Palestine at the International Court of Justice in The Hague: 'Gaza has become a place of death and despair. On average 247 Palestinians are being killed each day. They include 48 mothers each day, over 117 children each day. Each day, 629 people will be wounded, some multiple times over. Each day 10 Palestinian children will have one or both legs amputated, many without anesthetic. 

"'Entire multi-generational families will be obliterated. Yet more Palestinian children will become WCNSF - Wounded Child No surviving Family - the terrible new acronym born out of Israel's genocidal assault on the Palestinian population in Gaza. The first genocide in history where its victims are broadcasting their own destruction in real time, in a desperate, so far vain hope that the world might do something."

Paul Doherty said Blinne had helped the Bloody Sunday families during the Bloody Sunday Inquiry.

"She is our friend and we are so proud to have her stand for Palestine," he added. "We are opposed to al killing of civilians in acts of war be they carried out by Hamas or the Israeli Government. But, Israel has been waging war against the Palestinian people for over seven decades through ethnic cleansing, occupation, apartheid and a brutal siege on Gaza. 

"Any international response that fails to acknowledge the reality, just serves to further dehumanise the Palestinian people and deny them the justice and peace and equality they are entitled to.

"We call on all governments to work towards a just and lasting solution, which will provide long term peace, security quality of life for Palestinians and Israelis by ending the injustices imposed on the Palestinian population. 

"The 2024 commemoration of Bloody Sunday is dedicated to those who are suffering in Palestine. One World One Struggle until all are free," said Paul Doherty.

Mr Doherty also asked those attending the commemoration to remember "those lost in the past year who we wish were here with us today.

"Eoghan McDaid, the brother of Michael McDaid; Margaret Wray, sister of Jim Wray; Alex Curran, brother-in-law of William Nash; Ann Mulhern, the sister of William McKinney; Maggie Nash, sister of William Nash; and Maura Young, sister of John Young. 

"In the memory of all we have lost, We Shall Overcome."

The commemoration ended with Ciara Devlin reading a poem written by her son Eoghan McKinney for his friend Shannon, the niece of Bloody Sunday victim William McKinney.

WATCH: Ciara Devlin reads a poem written by her son Eoghan McKinney, for his friend, Shannon, the niece of Bloody Sunday victim William McKinney, at Derry's Bloody Sunday Monument, on January 20, 2024 - 52nd Anniversary of Bloody Sunday.

"Unjustified & Unjustifiable" pic.twitter.com/Wt1qHNec0N

— Derry Now (@DerryNow) January 31, 2024

Following the sombre event, Derry Now spoke to Liam Wray, brother of Jim Wray.

Liam said he still felt the loss of his brother. "Each year I get older and it gets a bit tougher," he said.

WATCH: Liam Wray, brother of Bloody Sunday victim Jim Wray, at Derry's Bloody Sunday Monument, on January 30, 2024, the poignant 52nd Anniversary of Bloody Sunday.

Liam told @DerryNow: "I still feel the loss of my brother. Each year I get older, it gets a bit tougher." pic.twitter.com/qIRGT1pfYH

— Derry Now (@DerryNow) January 30, 2024

He added: "There is always a type of sadness. 52 years went in like a week at times. You can get very emotional at times because I was on the street on the day myself, with my family. 

"Jim obviously didn't come home. That's the first thing - it's always the personal loss, the pain, not every day but on anniversaries you feel it a lot more.

"52 years on, I think it is a credit to the Derry people and other people who show up every year. Because Bloody Sunday just didn't happen to the families who lost relatives and were wounded. It was a trauma for the whole city, the people who were on the parade and that trauma still goes through the generations."

Jim said his late sister Margaret, who died in September, had been one of the people who walked up Bishop Street to the Soldier F Hearing on August 25, 2023.

Asked about the subsequent PSNI investigation, Jim Wray said: "Those things don't trouble me. In fact, I'm sorry I wasn't on that walk because they can do what they want. I don't care. That's the bottom line. 

"I am more interested to see if this PPS do anything worthwhile because our family has no confidence or faith whatsoever. They have strung everything out. Their efforts in regard to challenging anonymity and location, in our view, was very, very poor. 

"It feels like we are experiencing an amnesty by attrition. Keep it going as long as you can. We have already lost a few witnesses over the four years for the committal proceedings and the court house we sat in, you couldn't hear what was being said.

"The family, as we felt, were never part of it. We felt the efforts of the PPS could have been better. The fact that they went to try to shut it down, we don't have any confidence about it."