Eastwood brands PSNI probe into Bloody Sunday family march ‘a farce’

He made the comments as he walked out of Strand Road police station in Londonderry in protest after being asked to attend an interview under caution.

It is understood that police are investigating a complaint in relation to an event on August 25, which saw members of the Bloody Sunday families walking together to Bishop Street Courthouse in Londonderry for a hearing in relation to the prosecution of Soldier F.

Soldier F, a former paratrooper who cannot be identified, is accused of murdering James Wray and William McKinney when members of the Parachute Regiment shot dead 13 civil rights protesters on the streets of the city in 1972 in an event known as Bloody Sunday.

He is also charged with five attempted murders.

Regarded as one of the darkest days of the Troubles, 13 people were killed on Bloody Sunday and another man shot by paratroopers died four months later.

Many consider him the 14th victim of Bloody Sunday but his death was formally attributed to an inoperable brain tumour.

At issue in the investigation is whether the August event fell under legislation In Northern Ireland that requires organisers of public processions to give advance notice to a Parades Commission. It is an offence to organise or participate in an unnotified parade or related protest.

Mr Eastwood said he will not be partaking in the investigation any further.

Emerging from the Strand Road PSNI station in Londonderry, Mr Eastwood said he had waited for 20 minutes but had not been interviewed and branded the situation as a "total and utter farce".

He said: "I was asked to attend an interview with the PSNI because I walked alongside members of the Bloody Sunday families to the Derry courthouse at a hearing for Soldier F."

Ciaran Shiels, a lawyer who represents the Bloody Sunday families, said police are looking to interview at least five prominent members of the campaigning group.

He said: "A small number of the families walked up a portion of Bishop Street, accompanied by political representatives and legal representatives also.

"There was no major political statement in it, nobody was inconvenienced. The police saw it. The police did not issue any warnings."

Mr Shiels said asking to interview the victims under caution would "traumatise them more".

Mr Eastwood said: "I agreed to come but for one reason only: I was going to be very clear with the police that no member of the Bloody Sunday families will be attending to take part in this farce."

He said the PSNI are aware of where he lives if they want to arrest him for refusing to continue to wait for an interview in relation to a complaint over an alleged unnotified parade.

Mr Eastwood said he had agreed with the PSNI to attend at 1pm but they "didn't bother to turn up".

He said he had only attended the Strand Road PSNI station to say he would not be answering any questions for the investigation.

He 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."

Mr Eastwood 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."

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 the PSNI "really need to get their priorities straight".

"It's utterly astonishing. Families had to march and campaign against the might of the British establishment who tried to quash and squash and hide the truth from the people of this city and from victims of Bloody Sunday. It took 52 years to get somebody into the dark, we finally got there."

During a hearing in Londonderry on Thursday, Soldier F was sent for trial at a date to be fixed at Belfast Crown Court.

A PSNI spokesman said: "An investigation has commenced and, as enquiries are ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment any further at this time."