Brother calls for truth about Bloody Sunday

The brother of a man killed in Bloody Sunday today called on British soldiers to tell the truth about the affair.

The brother of a man killed in Bloody Sunday today called on British soldiers to tell the truth about the affair.

Mr Michael McKinney Derry, was speaking before a public meeting in west London commemorating the 30th anniversary of the event.

A smattering of right-wing demonstrators, from groups like the National Front, were gathered outside the building waving anti-IRA placards.

Mr McKinney is a member of the Justice for Bloody Sunday group. His brother William, who was 27 at the time, was killed during the protest on January 30th, 1972, in which 13 men were shot dead during a Civil Rights march in Derry.

READ MORE

Mr McKinney said: "I am still focused on the inquiry. I would still hope the inquiry will get to the truth of what happened on Bloody Sunday."

He also claimed: "Soldiers are very reluctant to co-operate with the inquiry because they have continually withheld important documents and photographs.

"It is us who are seeking the truth and they are not."

Mr McKinney clarified that by "they" he meant the soldiers and the Ministry of Defence.

Of the recent controversial television dramatisations of the events, he said: "It has been very emotional watching both films and seeing it all relived.

Speaking of the inquiry, which Mr McKinney has attended every day, he said: "Witnesses have been very honest and some are speaking about things which happened on Bloody Sunday for the first time since it happened.

"I know the truth and we have called for the declaration of innocence for those killed and wounded. I would not accept anything else from the inquiry.

"I want to have my brother's name and the names of everybody else to have all been cleared."

He added: "I know a good bit of the truth anyway. What I need now is the truth from the army witnesses."

PA