[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c51000rgn0jo](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c51000rgn0jo)
The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) will not prosecute seven people – including SDLP leader Colum Eastwood – in relation to an unnotified procession involving some Bloody Sunday families.
In August last year the Foyle MP accompanied relatives of some of the victims to a court hearing in Londonderry involving an ex-soldier accused of crimes including murder on Bloody Sunday.
In January police submitted a file to the PPS reporting seven people.
On Thursday the PPS said prosecutions were not in the public interest.
However, it said the seven individuals had participated in a public procession that had not been subject to the legal notification requirement.
In Northern Ireland you must give 28 days’ notice if you want to hold a parade or procession.
A PPS spokeswoman said the purpose of having legislative regulation of parades and processions in NI “is to control public disorder and damage, to minimise disruption to the life of the community and to enhance community relations”.
She added: “In this particular case, it was clear that the procession investigated did not raise any of those risks and therefore the public interest would not be served by pursuing criminal proceedings,”
Mr Eastwood described the PPS decision as “the right one”.
“The people of Derry have been standing with the Bloody Sunday families for over 50 years and nothing will ever change that,” he said.
“This entire process has added more hurt to families who have endured decades of pain. The complaint was completely vexatious and those responsible should be ashamed.”
In December the Foyle MP went to Strand Road police station in Derry but walked out after 20 minutes when, he said, no one came to speak to him.
The Bloody Sunday Trust also confirmed at that time that some relatives of the civil rights marchers who were killed or injured in Derry during Bloody Sunday – 30 January 1972 – had been asked to attend for police interview.
Solicitor Ciaran Shiels, who represents a number of victims’ families and also Mr Eastwood, said the PPS decision was “a victory for common sense”.
“This was a matter that never should have troubled the PPS, who have genuine and serious criminal cases that require to be progressed through the courts,” he said.
“The decision taken by the PPS this morning was the only sensible and rational decision that could be taken in the circumstances.”
Mr Shiels said the PSNI, “at the highest level have some extremely serious questions to answer”.
BBC News NI has contacted both the PSNI and the Bloody Sunday Trust for comment.
The former British soldier, known as Soldier F, is to stand trial for two murders and five attempted murders on Bloody Sunday.
Thirteen people were shot dead and at least 15 others injured when members of the Army’s Parachute Regiment opened fire on civil rights demonstrators in the Bogside area of Derry.
by UlstersTallestBaby
6 comments
Is that yet another challenge Bryson has lost?
thank fuck common sense finally prevailed
No point in the parades commission then? Eastwood will probably get away with the Palestinian parade as well then.
This is the biggest nothing-burger I have seen in a long time. I’m also genuinely disappointed in Colm Eastwood as I thought he would have known better, he has milked the families for likes on this issue which is surprising for him.
Colm knows full well that the PSNI’s job is to investigate incidents and send files to the PPS, it’s not the police’s job nor should it be, to determine the rights or wrongs of any given incident. He knew the police would have to take action in this case, attempting to speak to those who took part at a minimum.
He will also have known that if he had bothered to submit an 11/1 the procession would have passed off perfectly legally and with no issue. The fact he didn’t and then dragged this out, with plenty of press conferences along the way, speaks volumes. He had a clear path to preventing this from even becoming an issue & chose not to take it. That’s to say nothing of the expense to the public purse in arriving at this completely unnecessary decision by the PPS.
Is there a number over which you have to submit the form for “public procession”?
I know nothing about it, but 7 people going for a walk sounds like it doesn’t really meet the threshold for a march (but again, I don’t know what the actual legal threshold is)
Fair play.