Veterans demand apology from Colum Eastwood over Bloody Sunday claims

In a letter to the Foyle MP, the Northern Ireland Veterans Movement (NIVM) accused him of “baseless” assertions “without a shred of evidence”.

Last Wednesday in the Commons – ahead of Sunday’s main 50th anniversary commemoration of the 14 people shot dead by Parachute Regiment soldiers – Mr Eastwood told MPs: “Fifty years ago this week, the Parachute Regiment were sent to my city to murder 14 people; people who were unarmed, marching for civil rights.”

Mr Eastwood repeated the claim during an interview with BBC Radio Foyle on Monday morning.

He said that many of those shot were running away or crawling on the ground, and added: “That is the nature of the people who were sent in to the Bogside that day to murder our citizens.”

In the letter to Mr Eastwood dated January 30, the NIVM said they wished, on behalf of the veterans who served in Northern Ireland, to express their “utter contempt for the remarks” made in Parliament.

It adds: “No soldier went out with the intention of killing anyone while serving in Northern Ireland, they reacted to violent events unfolding in front of them. They were there to stop real murderers from killing one another.

“You accused veterans of deliberately intending to commit murder while being deployed to Londonderry. You know that this to be untrue and you also know that recent judicial reviews of the soldiers found that the evidence did not meet the legal threshold to support a prosecution.

“You also know that Soldier F, the only soldier to face trial for the events of 30 January 1972, was also acquitted and the case dismissed after many investigations. The truth is irrelevant to you, you simply spew out hatred to maintain your voting base.”

The letter also makes reference to Mr Eastwood carrying the coffin of a former INLA terrorist in 2012, and added: “We call on you to immediately withdraw your comments and apologise for the hurt you have caused” to the families of those who died and to those veterans “maimed while protecting the people in Northern Ireland”.

Mr Eastwood has also spoken out against the government’s proposal to bring an end to all Troubles-related prosecutions. He said the bill as proposed would “close down any route to truth and justice,” and that the Bloody Sunday families will continue to seek justice.

The SDLP has not yet responded to a request for comment.

READ: Eastwood repeats claims soldiers ‘sent in to murder’ on Bloody Sunday

READ: Guarded welcome for ‘amnesty’ bill after veterans meet Brandon Lewis in London

READ: As Legacy bill stalls, military veterans feel ‘abused and abandoned’

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