Bloody Friday: cross-party condemnation of those behind bomb atrocities

DUP MLA Brian Kingston said July 21, 1972 “stands out as one of the darkest days of the Troubles in terms of the sheer scale of the attacks which took place and the reckless disregard for human life”.

He said: “It was deliberately callous with the large number of explosions across the city designed to overstretch the security forces and emergency services.

“That was further exacerbated with hoax calls placed with the intention of hindering evacuations.

“One description of Belfast that day said it ‘resembled a city under artillery fire’ and it caused absolute terror across the city.”

Mr Kingston added: “The Belfast Brigade of the Provisional IRA launched a truly indiscriminate attack on the everyday life of Belfast’s citizens with a majority of those injured being women and children.

“In the 50 years that have passed there has never been an explanation as to why a series of locations packed with civilians was chosen.”

Ulster Unionist leader Doug Beattie said: “There are those today who wish to whitewash the crimes of the IRA.

“They are very enthusiastic when it comes to pursuing police officers and soldiers for events of 50 years ago, whilst taking great offence if the police seek to even question republicans about the atrocities committed by the IRA.”

Mr Beattie also reflected on yesterday’s anniversary of the 1982 Hyde Park and Regent’s Park bombings, saying: “The modern-day Sinn Fein leadership cannot lecture anyone about truth and justice as long as they venerate the perpetrators of crimes such as Bloody Friday, Hyde Park and Regent’s Park, and attempt to justify their actions.

“The families of the victims of the IRA murdered in those cowardly attacks deserve truth and justice.”

Alliance legacy spokesperson Sorcha Eastwood said her party “remains committed to helping those loved ones receive the comprehensive justice they deserve, with the shadow of these bombings still persisting to this day,” and added: “This once again shows the fallacy of the UK government’s proposals for an amnesty, which would remove the possibility of the truth for the victims of this atrocity and the rest of our troubled past.”

Matthew O’Toole of the SDLP said Bloody Friday was “one of the darkest days of our troubled past” and the loss of life “can never be forgotten”.

The South Belfast MLA also said: “For the families of those killed and those left with serious and life-changing injuries the decades since Bloody Friday have been a nightmare.

“When events like this take place, the real number of victims is immeasurable, the events of that terrible day will have reverberations that have left many people suffering, behind closed doors and unseen.”

He said it is £important that we come together to mark this day and the unspeakable acts that were perpetrated in Belfast”.

TUV South Belfast spokesperson Andrew Girvin said: “Even after half a century, there are many for whom the horrific scenes of that day remain embedded in their minds.

“Yet amid the carnage, the heroism of young Stephen Parker deserves to be remembered.

“The 14-year-old was posthumously awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Bravery after he tried to warn people about a device he spotted in car outside a row of shops on Cavehill Road.

“At a time when there are strenuous attempts to rewrite the past and lionise men of violence it is all the more important that true heroes like Stephen Parker are remembered.”