‘Phoney defence’ justification for excluding IRA reference from Bloody Friday event

Following initial criticism of a decision to exclude any reference to the Provisional IRA at a Bloody Friday commemoration, confirmation that the Commission for Victims and Survivors (CVSNI) influenced that decision has caused further dismay.

Relatives of some of the nine people killed, when more than 20 bombs were detonated across Belfast on July 21, 1972, attended a 50th anniversary event at Belfast City Hall on Thursday.

The private commemoration, organised by Belfast City Council and attended by Sinn Fein Lord Mayor Tina Black, included music, poetry and prayer.

An order of service referred to ‘the 50th anniversary of the events which took place in Belfast on 21 July 1972’.

Afterwards, victims’ advocacy group Ulster Human Rights Watch said those behind the “dreadful, qualified wording” on the order of service owed innocent victims of terrorism an apology.

A spokeswoman for the council said its “main priority was the survivors and family members of those killed or injured on that day,” and added: “Council worked closely with the Commission for Victims and Survivors to agree the event programme, taking their advice and guidance around language used to describe the event, in order to ensure the occasion was handled sensitively and respectfully, and that no further hurt was caused to the families.

“It was advised that using the term ‘Bloody Friday’ could potentially be triggering for some families impacted by the events of July 1972.”

However, both the DUP and TUV, along with victims’ group SEFF, have challenged what SEFF described as the “phoney defence” that decisions were taken with the families in mind.

“Politics dictated the presentation of the narrative at the City Hall event ensuring the attendance of a political party, were the narrative of that day to have been represented in the sense of who did it, and what was done, then that party would not have been present,” Kenny Donaldson of SEFF said.

“Those who agreed to proceed in this way did not have victims and survivors’ needs at the heart of their decision making. It was not a victim centred approach, it was an approach dictated by politics.”

Mr Donaldson added: “At no time was the event programme run past ourselves as the group who pressed for Bloody Friday to be marked by the Council.

“The phoney defence being put up that decisions taken were about victims and their sensitivities is farcical. Time and time again concern for victims is used as a rationale for policy decisions being taken which are about placating terrorism and its effects and of sparing the blushes of those now in political office whose political party have links to the terror organisation responsible.

“However good will came out of the last few days. Families unknown to us previously, and who were without support, will now have access to that support and it will be our privilege to provide that assistance to them.”

North Belfast MLA Brian Kingston said: “It will stand forever as an incontrovertible fact that the Provisional IRA deliberately set out on 21 July 1972 to cause massive terror and destruction and to jeopardise the lives of innocent men, women and children going about their daily life across Belfast.

“I was pleased to support the request from the victims group SEFF that the 50th anniversary of Bloody Friday be marked by Belfast City Council. It was not however a party event.”

Mr Kingston added: “It was humbling to meet and to speak to many relatives of those who were killed on Bloody Friday... as well as to representatives of victims’ groups, all of whom expressed their appreciation of the commemoration and of those who contributed to the programme.

“We believe that the history of what happened in Northern Ireland must be commemorated and the truth of what happened here should never be forgotten, including the pain caused by terrorist groups on innocent people.”

TUV South Belfast spokesperson Andrew Girvin said that excluding the name of the IRA “does nothing but shame the organisers.”

He said: “I find myself in total agreement with Ulster Human Rights Watch which branded the decision ‘scandalous, disrespectful and highly offensive’.

“An important function of commemorating massacres such as this is to bring home the horror of murder and ensure that upcoming generations do not suffer in the same fashion. In failing to clearly identify the culprits, Belfast City Council has failed in that duty.”

Mr Girvin added: “The Commission for Victims and Survivors has questions to answer about their role in this affair. Did they seek to establish the views of victims of the bombs on the issues they were consulted on and if not why not?

“More fundamentally, did the Council consult the families of the victims on their views on whether the perpetrators of the massacre should be called out and whether the term Bloody Friday should be employed?

“The fact that the Commission operates to the flawed 2006 definition of victim which fails to exclude victim makers has long been a source of controversy for innocent victims of violence. The decision of the council therefore to seemingly seek their advice as an independent expert is highly questionable.”

Responding to the criticism, the CVSNI said: “The council approached the Commission to help them consider how to deliver an event that was sensitive to the victims and survivors of that day. Our advice to them was to put the impacted families to the forefront of their mind in all their decision-making to limit the potential for compounding their grief, hurt or trauma.

We know and respect that people have different points of view on memorialisation of the past is remembered but this event was specifically for giving space for individuals to remember their experiences or loved ones in a way that was reflective and respectful.

“We hope we helped the Council achieve that and that the families in attendance yesterday were brought some comfort in that remembrance.”

On Twitter, commentator Máiría Cahill said: “This was a really insulting decision by Belfast City Council.

“Their key mistake: they consulted the NI Victims Commission – and yet didn’t consult the actual victims who were going to be attending. That isn’t victim led sensitivity – it is sanitisation.”

Ann Travers, whose sister Mary was murdered by the IRA in 1984, said: “Why are we not allowed to mention the IRA and what they did? The IRA forced themselves into many families lives, uninvited. They were evil and cruel. Not heroes. They still impact on many lives today. They cannot be swept under the carpet.”

READ: Bloody Friday police officer - ‘they didn’t care who they murdered that day.... they really didn’t’