Holding Power to Account
As we remember those who died on these streets in January 1972 it is appropriate that we also remember those who are dying each day in Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan and elsewhere in the so-called War on Terror. Hooding, sensory deprivation and torture - the 'deep interrogation' of prisoners - was practised by the British army at Girdwood and Palace barracks long before Abu Graib or Bagram Airbase became torture centres.
The failure to hold power to account for what is done today has consequences for tomorrow. The two soldiers convicted of the murder of Belfast teenager Peter Mc Bride and then allowed to rejoin their regiment were then posted to Basra, in Iraq. The message to other soldiers? The British Army will support child killers. The most senior officer in the British Army today, and who led the attack on Iraq, is General Mike Jackson. Though on duty in Rossville St on Bloody Sunday he has stated that he "did not see any soldiers firing their weapons".
There was a failure to hold power to account for Bloody Sunday, and 35 years on British troops are murdering people in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Artwork on the route of the march
Each year on the weekend of the Bloody Sunday commemoration we have an opportunity to both remember the victims and their families and to reach out in solidarity to other groups and people who are engaged in their own struggles.
In each of these struggles there are people who inspire us, iconic figures who symbolise the fight for justice against enormous odds. There are also those who work quietly, away from the spotlight, with strength and integrity, who are equally inspiring.
This year, the route of the march will be decorated with images of some of these people. Local groups were asked to nominate a person who has made an impact on them in their work for freedom and justice. These images will be interspersed with images of the Bloody Sunday victims.
As we await the outcome of the Saville report it is important to remember the human costs amid all the legal machinations. Fourteen Derry families lost a son, a husband, a father, a brother. Whether in the Bogside in 1972 or Basra in 2007 abuses of power must be challenged and held to account.
11.30am. Launch of the Bloody Sunday Ribbon, by the Mayor of Derry, Councillor Helen Quigley
Venue: Guildhall
7.30pm. Bloody Sunday: A Derry Diary
Documentary following the course of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry from the point of view of the victims' families. The screening will be followed by a chaired discussion with the director Margo Harkin and John Nash, whose younger brother William was one those shot dead on Bloody Sunday.
Venue: Nerve Centre, Magazine Street
7.30pm. Policing Without Politics - Can the PSNI Deliver?
Everyone is entitled to a police service they can trust and support. In the north of Ireland nationalists and republicans have never had an easy relationship with the police. Politically motivated policing has created a legacy of distrust that the PSNI must overcome if it is to earn that support and trust. The question is, can they deliver?
Speakers from the SDLP, Sinn Féin, SEA and 32 CSM will be in attendance. Chair: Paul O'Connor, Pat Finucane Centre.
Venue: Tower Hotel, Butcher Street
7.30pm. 'Yesterday - Today' Exhibition Opening
This collective quilt - produced by Peruvian women - was first exhibited on 2 May 2002 to the Peruvian Truth Commission tasked with taking testimony from relatives who had lost loved ones as a result of the conflict between Peruvian state forces and the Maoist group Sendero Luminoso ("Shining Path").
Roberta Bacic (Chilean human rights lecturer, researcher and activist living in Ireland) will give a short illustrated talk on the background to the quilt and the use of needlework as a means of expressing thoughts and feelings about the past and testifying to the lived experience. On display to Sunday 28 January.
Venue: Pilots Row, Rossville St
7.30pm. Official opening of the Museum of Free Derry
The true story of the struggle for civil rights, the Battle of the Bogside, Internment, Free Derry and Bloody Sunday.
Please note that due to restrictions on space this event is invitation only. The museum will open to the public from Friday 26 January, adm £3 / £1.50. Admission will be free from Monday 29 January to Friday 2 February. Please call 7136 0880 for details.
Venue: Museum of Free Derry, Glenfada Park
7.30pm. Lebanon and Derry - the arms trade link
Peace activist Caoimhe Butterly has spent six months in Lebanon. Before returning she reports on the bloody results of Israel's onslaught last year. A representative of the Raytheon 9 will also speak. Plus showing of film of the recent Raytheon 9 visit to southern Lebanon. Event organised by Derry Anti-War Coalition.
Venue: Sandino's, Water Street
8.00pm. Documentary Screening.
Screening of a documentary on Bloody Sunday, followed by discussion with family members.
Venue: AOH Hall, Foyle Street
8.00pm. Heroes With Their Hands In The Air
From Friday 26 January until Saturday 3 February, The Playhouse presents the world premiere of Heroes With Their Hands In The Air, a powerful new drama examining the events and legacy of Bloody Sunday. Adapted and directed by Fintan Brady from the book The Bloody Sunday Inquiry - The Families Speak Out edited by Eamonn McCann. Performance: 8.00pm nightly. Tickets: £9/£6. Box Office: 028 7126 8027. www.derryplayhouse.co.uk
Venue: Playhouse, Artillery Street
11.00am - 12.30pm. Mobilising Counter-Power: Raytheon, Rossport & Shannon
What can be done against the odds? A panel of activists from three key sites of resistance across Ireland will speak about their campaigns against the corporate threat to justice and democracy in Ireland. Chaired by Rose Kelly of Foyle Ethical Investment Campaign.
12noon - 1.00pm. Acht na Gaeilge / Irish Language Act
Díospóireacht ar an éileamh ó phobal na Gaeilge d'Acht Gaeilge a chaomhnóidh a gcearta sna sé chontae. Cainteoirí ós na páirtithe polaitiúla.
Discussion on the Irish language community's demand for an Irish Language Act to protect their rights in the north. Speakers from the political parties.
1.45pm - 3.30pm. Healing Through Remembering - Making Peace with the Past
Making Peace with the Past: Options for truth recovery regarding the conflict in and about Northern Ireland was produced by HTR's Truth Recovery and Acknowledgement Sub Group and Prof. Kieran McEvoy. The Sub Group comprises a diverse range of individuals from loyalist, republican, British Army and police backgrounds, as well as individuals from different faith backgrounds, victims and community groups and academic institutions. The report aims to increase debate on the important issue of truth recovery, and the wider question of dealing with the past, to ensure a better future for all. Speakers will include Mike Ritchie, director Coiste na nIarchimi, and Andrew Rawding, former British Army officer.
4.00 - 5.00pm. How a Liar and War Criminal Became Britain's Number One Soldier
General Sir Michael Jackson retired last year as British Army Chief of the General Staff. On 30 January 1972 he was on the ground in the Bogside as a captain in the First Paras. By the next morning he had devised the cover-up of the Bloody Sunday massacre. Eamonn McCann will draw on testimony to the Saville Inquiry and other material to show "How a Liar and War Criminal Became Britain's Number One Soldier."
Venue: Pilots Row, Rossville Street
7.45pm - 9.45pm. "October's Cry" by Julie Gal
The Irish Premier of October's Cry, Julie Gal's powerful award winning documentary exploring the events of October 2000, when 13 young Israeli Arabs were killed by Israeli security forces. The parallels with Bloody Sunday as they are revealed in the film are chilling. Viewed through the perspective of the victims' families, the film also looks at the Orr Commission and the efforts of Arab lawyers and civil rights activists seeking justice for the victims.
The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with Margo Harkin, director of Bloody Sunday: A Derry Diary, a Bloody Sunday relative, the director Julie Gal and Jamilla Asleh, the mother featured in the film who witnessed the killing of her son by the Israeli police. Admission £3.00.
Venue: Nerve Centre Magazine Street
9.30pm. Fundraiser: Music for the Masses
Cruncher O'Neill, Aontas, Tina Mc Laughlin, Eileen Webster & Gary Óg.
Doors open at 9.00pm. Come early to avoid disappointment. Admission £5 at door. BYO.
Venue: Gasyard
11.00am. Wreath Laying Ceremony and Prayer Service
Everyone welcome.
Venue: Bloody Sunday Monument, Rossville Street
11.00am - 3.00pm. Cafe An Creggan will be open for snacks and lunches
Venue: Fanad Drive, Creggan
2.30pm. Annual Bloody Sunday Commemorative March
The annual commemoration march, followed by a rally at Free Derry Wall. Speakers to include a family representative, Sinn Féin and the SDLP.
Assemble 2.30pm, Creggan Shops
6.00pm. Post-march entertainment
Cruncher O'Neill and Gary Óg. Don't go home hungry. Plus many special guests. Soup and Sandwiches.
Venue: Masons Bar Magazine Street
Soup and sandwiches in Sandino's, Water Street.
10.00pm. Bloody Sunday Commemoration Quiz
£10 per team of 5. Everyone welcome.
Venue: Beechtree Bar, Beechwood Avenue
4.00pm. Minutes Silence at Bloody Sunday Monument, Rossville Street
All welcome.
7.30pm. Bloody Sunday Memorial Mass
All welcome.
Venue: St Mary's, Creggan