Adams calls for Ballymurphy inquiry

Published Thursday, 18 February 2010

Gerry Adams has called for a public inquiry into the deaths of 11 people during operation Demetrius in west Belfast 40 years ago.

He said there was little difference between the Bloody Sunday killings and the 1971 Ballymurphy case.

A mural was unveiled on Thursday in the area commemorating the dead.

Mr Adams said: "It is my strong view that the difference between Bloody Sunday and what happened in Ballymurphy is that Bloody Sunday happened in half an hour almost in the presence of television cameras.

"Of course what happened in Ballymurphy happened over 36 or 48 hours and in the middle of internment and the immediate aftermath."

The Ballymurphy killings took place during the Army's Operation Demetrius.

The troops claimed they opened fire, after being shot at by republicans.

The victims included a Catholic priest, Father Hugh Mullan and a mother-of-eight, Joan Connolly. The mural includes depictions of the victims.

Mr Adams is seeking a meeting with Prime Minister Gordon Brown but Mr Brown said Northern Ireland Secretary Shaun Woodward was dealing with it.

The Sinn Fein leader added: "The case that has been put is irrefutable, it is very, very clear that there was a killing operation in Ballymurphy and that the Paras came in and ironically enough exactly the same Paras went into Derry a short time after.

"The families want an independent international investigation, they want the British government to apologise for what it did and they want the support of everyone interested in truth and justice."

Comments

4 Comments

Tommo in Ireland wrote (821 days ago):

Why would we need an enquiry into 'La Mon'? The IRA admitted doing it & that the people who died were innocent. The RUC investigated it with zeal though failed to convict. Even in war it is a crime to deliberately target civilians. It never stopped the British state though. Check out the statue of Bomber Harris in London. Does anyone honestly think that British soldiers would ever have got away with Bloody Sunday or Ballymurphy if it were in, well, Britian let's say?

Mason Boyne in belfast wrote (823 days ago):

Fed up. You’re right. If we keep spending money on inquiries how are we going to afford the millions of pounds we need to support Orange Parades? The Government needs to realise where its priorities should be.

barry in lisburn wrote (824 days ago):

Maybe there should be an inquiry into the la mon bombing, oh wait that wouldn't be good for our gerry.

Fed Up in Belfast wrote (824 days ago):

Oh here we go again. Another 'inquiry' that will take years and lots of taxpayers money. The IRA have always stated they were fighting a war. So why then do we have inquiries. Surely if it was a war as they claim then there is obviously going to be civilian casualites on both sides. Maybe it's time the Government launched its own inquiries into holding the American Government liable for sponsoring terrorism by allowing fundraising. How many people were killed by the IRA using that money???? Can IRA victims claim collusion between Libya, America and the IRA??? I think Mr Adams would have something to say about that.