Bloody Sunday Black Flag Solidarity Vigil at Free Derry Corner

Derry's Bloody Sunday March Committee has held a Black Flag Solidarity Vigil at Free Derry Corner.

The Solidarity Vigil took place on Friday evening in response to outcome of the trial of Soldier F in Belfast's Crown Court on Thursday.

The former member of the British Army's Parachute regiment was found not guilty of murdering Jim Wray and William McKinney on Derry's Bloody Sunday - January 30, 1972.

He was also found not guilty of the attempted murder of Michael Quinn, Patrick O'Donnell, Joseph Friel, Joe Mahon and an unknown person on the same day.

The Solidarity Vigil was chaired by Kate Nash, whose brother William Nash was murdered on Bloody Sunday and whose father Alex Nash was seriously injured.

The speakers at the Vigil were Bloody Sunday family members, Geraldine Doherty, the niece of Gerard Donaghey, and Liam Wray, the brother of Jim Wray. Veteran Bloody Sunday campaigner Eamonn McCann concluded the meeting.

Addressing the 200-strong crowd, Geraldine Doherty said:  I stand here as the niece of Gerald Donaghey.

"Gerald was the only person who was not exonerated by the Saville Inquiry. Saville ruled that he could dismiss the possibility that Gerald was carrying four nail bombs when he was shot by the Parachute Regiment. Yet no nail bombs were thrown that day. A doctor, a nurse and then an army medic all examined Gerald and stated that he was completely unarmed. His body was taken through army checkpoints and searched, no nail bombs were found.

"As part of the cover up and the beginning of a campaign by British forces to justify their massacring of civilians, four nail bombs were planted of my Uncle’s body.

"Saville is rightly cited as a declaration of innocence of those who were murdered by the Paratroopers in the Bogside - but for the Donaghey family it was a moment of great hope but crushing despair.

"We ask you all to remember the boy who wasn’t declared ‘ innocent ‘ by Saville and to keep the fight to clear my Uncle’s name alive.

"Yesterday we saw the acquittal of Soldier F. In his own words he admitted to the Saville Inquiry that he had carried out the crimes he was found not guilty of yesterday. The Judge summed up the case clearly stating that Soldier F and his gang of thugs were responsible for the murders of innocent civil, shooting them in the back as they posed no threat.

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"No prosecution was possible yesterday or before because of all the lies and deliberate failures by the State over 52 years in order to protect their own.

"I didn’t have any hope of Soldier F being found guilty. I do have hope that we can still exonerate my Uncle. I do have hope that by marching, campaigning and refusing to accept Saville as the end of the matter we can continue to show up the British State for their actions in sending in the Parachute Regiment to murder our loved ones .

"Soldier F was in the dock. General Sir Mike Jackson went from covering up the massacres in Ballymurphy and Derry to becoming the head of the British Army. He should have been held accountable.

"Jackson, Heath and all the people at the heart of the British State carry the guilt of war criminals for their actions in Derry, in Iraq and Afghanistan. Those who gave the orders and covered up the crimes are equally culpable as Dave Cleary Soldier F. Thank you for the chance to speak. The fight for justice continues."