Bloody Sunday families refuse to cooperate with PSNI

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood walked out of an interview at a PSNI police barracks on Friday, denouncing the force’s treatment of the Bloody Sunday families over a loyalist’s accusation that they held an ‘illegal parade’ by walking together to a recent court appearance.

On 25 August, the Bloody Sunday families walked to the courthouse in Derry for a hearing in relation to the prosecution of a British soldier for his role in the killings (pictured).

The Foyle MP was to attend Strand Road police station this week for questioning on that alleged offence. But after waiting for 20 minutes, he walked out after no one appeared to interview him.

Visibly angry, he said it was a “a total and utter farce”,

He said he had turned up “to tell them (Crown Forces) that they should not be hauling victims and their families in for questioning, re-traumatising them for walking together to court after 52 years of seeking justice.

“In the week that it was confirmed that someone will finally face a criminal prosecution for the events of that day, this process is an outrage.”

Mr Eastwood told reporters: “I’ve been sitting in there for 20 minutes and the PSNI have refused to send down to interview me. So I’ll not be partaking in any further part of this process, I was only going in there to tell them that this was a farce and it shouldn’t happen, and that’s the end of the matter.

“Good luck to the PSNI if this is the type of approach that they’re taking.”

Asked if he believed there would be ramifications for leaving or if he could be arrested, he said: “If the PSNI think arresting a member of parliament for walking alongside and standing with Bloody Sunday families, well, they know where I live.”

Mr Eastwood said neither he nor the families would be cooperating with the investigation which was motivated by a complaint from celebrity blogger Jamie Bryson.

He added: “Innocent families who’ve been through five decades of hurt and pain and injustice walked up a street. It is utterly ridiculous that the PSNI think this is the way to approach victims of what happened on Bloody Sunday.”

Lawyer Ciarán Shiels, who acts directly for most of the Bloody Sunday families confirmed the PSNI is seeking to interview prominent members of the families as well.

He explained: “A small number of the families walked a portion of Bishop Street, accompanied by political and legal representatives. There was no major political statement in it. Nobody was inconvenienced. The police saw it. The police did not issue any warnings about an ‘illegal possession’.

“But, what did happen was, Jamie Bryson, loaded on Twitter ‘sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander’, as if we could equate the Bloody Sunday families with people marching hooded and armed in East Belfast [referring to a recent unionist paramilitary show of strength] as if it was a quid pro quo situation and now you must interview under caution families who are already feeling traumatised.

“Let’s traumatise them a bit more by bringing them down to Strand Road police station, where they can sit across an interview table and talk about why they attended Bishop’s Street Court House, as victims, in relation to support for their loved one, who was in fact murdered on that day. To support the PPS, by the way, in their prosecution.

“Even ‘Soldier F’ wasn’t threatened with arrest at any time in the last 51 years but we have now, at least five prominent members of the Bloody Sunday Justice Campaign who do face arrest if they don’t go down to Strand Road police station and be interviewed under caution,” said Mr Shiels.

Republicans contrasted the harassment of the Bloody Sunday bereaved with the PSNI’s failure to investigate the shouting of UVF slogans at a major parade in the city by the loyalist Apprentice Boys of Derry organisation recently.

Saoradh also contrasted Mr Eastwood’s treatment with that meted out to republican activists and their families, many of whom are routinely hauled in for questioning and interrogation over similarly trivial incidents, without support from nationalist politicians.

“Regardless of the alleged offences, Republicans and their families will always be charged - there appears to be a directive in place for this,” said party representative Paddy Gallagher.

Urgent Appeal