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Publication Daily Mirror
Date Thursday 17th June 2010
Mark Durkan, the Foyle MP writes for the Mirror on what Saville means to Derry
THE publication and findings of the Saville Report was a huge moment in our history. It was a day of great emotion in Derry, where the people of my city didn't just live through Bloody Sunday but have lived with it ever since.
Not everyone outside Derry appreciates just what Bloody Sunday did to the city. The community had been mischaracterised by Widgery and the British establishment's previous versions of Bloody Sunday.
The vindication of innocence and the vindication of the honesty of all of the Derry witnesses down the years is a massive achievement.
Every one of the victims was absolutely and unequivocally exonerated by the report as were each of the wounded.
Now let us take time to absorb the Saville Report and examine the verdict of Saville before we start jumping to the verdict on Saville.
However, the tone some people, especially unionist politicians are striking in response to the Saville Report, is regrettable.
The report itself deals with a lot of the background events leading up to Bloody Sunday but the real question that is addressed is why the innocent people who were killed were on the streets.
As they marched for justice in their own streets they were cut down by the British Army.
On that civil rights march they were robbed of their lives protesting against internment without trial.
Their innocent memory was then interned without truth by the travesty of the Widgery tribunal. Widgery robbed the victims of their good name.
The Bloody Sunday monument on Rossville Street proclaims: "Their epitaph is in the continuing struggle for democracy."
If the publication of the Saville Report offers the healing of history in Derry and Ireland, we also wish that it will speak hope to those in other parts of the world who are burdened by injustice, conflict and the transgressions of unaccountable power.
We care deeply for other victims and we want truth and justice for them too.
Things need to be done for all victims and all of the truths need to be told.
It is my hope that one of the lessons people will take from the Saville Report is that when we deal with the past in an open and honest way - we can actually achieve great things.
It can emancipate us all for a new beginning.
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