The sight of British Army Parachute Regiment soldiers back on the streets of Derry has been condemned as a 'deeply insensitive and hurtful' act, reopening old wounds for the families of Bloody Sunday victims.
SDLP councillor John Kelly, whose 17-year-old brother Michael was among the 14 innocent civilians shot dead by the regiment in 1972, has issued a powerful plea to the British government. He is demanding an immediate ban on the regiment's presence in the city, a place forever scarred by their actions.
The controversial deployment occurred during a recent Apprentice Boys parade, where soldiers were observed conducting what the Ministry of Defence described as 'routine duties'. For the people of Derry, however, their presence was anything but routine.
A City's Trauma Reawakened
Councillor Kelly did not mince his words, stating the deployment demonstrated a 'complete lack of sensitivity and ignorance'. He articulated the collective anguish of a community for whom the Parachute Regiment symbolises not protection, but a painful history of loss and injustice.
'To see the Parachute Regiment back on the streets of Derry, where they murdered 14 people, is a slap in the face to the families of the victims and to the entire city,' Kelly said. The emotional impact on families who have fought for decades for accountability was profound.
Official Response and Lasting Scars
In response to the outcry, a Ministry of Defence spokesman stated, 'The Army continues to support the civilian authorities in Northern Ireland with routine duties to ensure the safety of the general public.'
This justification rings hollow for many in Derry. The Saville Inquiry, a landmark investigation into the events of Bloody Sunday, conclusively found that the victims were unarmed and posed no threat. The subsequent formal apology by former Prime Minister David Cameron was a moment of vindication, but for the families, the return of the regiment suggests the lessons of history have not been truly learned.
The event has ignited fresh debate about the legacy of the Troubles, the ongoing process of reconciliation, and the specific symbolism of certain British Army units in communities across Northern Ireland. For Derry, the call is clear: the Parachute Regiment does not represent safety, but a past that must not be repeated.
