Cross-community gathering against Government legacy proposals

Former Police Ombudsman Baroness Nuala O’Loan and Nipsa president Brian Smyth will be among speakers at an event on Monday.
Raymond McCord will be among those speaking at the event (Stefan Rousseau/PA)
PA Wire
Rebecca Black28 November 2021

A cross-community group of Troubles victims is to host a discussion against the Government’s legacy proposals.

Politicians from both sides of the Irish border as well as former Police Ombudsman Baroness Nuala O’Loan and Nipsa president Brian Smyth will be among speakers at the event in Belfast on Monday.

A host of victims, including John Teggart, whose father was killed by soldiers in Ballymurphy, Julie Hambleton, whose sister was killed in the IRA’s 1974 bomb attack in Birmingham, Sarah McKeegan, whose police officer father was killed, Raymond McCord whose son was killed by loyalists, and Michael Gallagher, whose son was killed in the Omagh bomb, will also address the event.

Brandon Lewis announced the UK Government’s proposals on dealing with the past which have received widespread criticism (Victoria Jones/PA)
PA Wire

The group recently visited Westminster where it received backing from the parties in its campaign against a proposal amnesty for Troubles offences.

It said it has the support of every major party in the British and Irish political systems, with the exception of the Conservative Party.

In a statement ahead of the event, it said: “Now we are giving the public an opportunity to hear victims telling their stories and why all the British Government proposals must be rejected.

“Our group have proudly brought unity between the political parties and victims by a victims-led and driven campaign for truth and justice, and a rejection of the amnesty proposals.”

Raymond McCord (centre) leads the victims of The Troubles and their families through Parliament Square, Westminster (Stefan Rousseau/PA)
PA Wire

There has been widespread opposition to the plans to ban future prosecutions of military veterans and ex-paramilitaries for Troubles incidents predating April 1998.

The Government also intends to put forward a new truth recovery model to help bereaved families gain information about the deaths of their loved ones without the prospect of a criminal justice outcome.

The event can be watched online at https://mobilemedia.tv/oppose-the-amnesty.

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