30 July 2009 Edition

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Scotland rallies for public inquiry into 1971 Ballymurphy Massacre

John Teggart

John Teggart

THE republican community in Scotland held its largest demonstration in almost ten years on Saturday, 18 July, as over 5,000 people turned out in Coatbridge to show their support for the families of  those murdered by the British Army in what has came to be known as ‘The Ballymuphy Massacre’.
The march, organised by the Coatbridge Cumann of Cairde na hÉireann welcomed supporters from as far afield as Tyrone, south Armagh and England.
Seven republican flute bands – the Coatbridge RFB, Volunteer Seán McIlvenna RFB, Volunteer Joe Cahill RFB, Volunteer Martin Doherty RFB, Liverpool Irish Patriots RFB, Rasharkin Sons of Ireland RFB and the Dunloy Fallen Comrades RFB – all attended the march.
Alongside the bands, the Cairde na hÉireann cumainn of Coatbridge, Wishaw, Calton, Cranhill, Garngad, Clelland and Liverpool were joined  by the members of the Burns and Moley cumann and members from the Strabane cumann.
As the march was still making its way through the centre of Coatbridge the front ranks, made up the families of those who were murdered in 1971 and accompanied by local children carrying banners demanding justice, were entering the Langloan area of the town. There the local community had come out in great numbers the night before to decorate the entire area with tricoloured bunting and almost every window and lamp-post held a flag to welcome the marchers and to show their support to the families.

EMOTIONAL
As the march came to an end, John Teggart whose father, Daniel Teggart was murdered after being shot 14 times by the British Parachute regiment addressed the crowd.
Speaking on behalf of all the families, he thanked those who had organised the march and he spoke of being overwhelmed and emotional at the turn-out and support shown to their campaign.
The assembled crowd was silent as John Teggert spoke of the terrible events in Ballymurphy from 9 to 11 August 1971 when 11 people were murdered by the British Army.
The list of victims and how each of those had been killed was read out. One of the dead was the parish priest, Fr Hugh Mullen, and another Joan Connolly, a mother of eight. All told, 47 children were left without a parent. To this day, not one member of the British Army has ever been held accountable despite the fact that there are many witnesses to the killings, including those who saw British soldiers execute Noel Phillips by means of a pistol shot behind each ear.
John Teggert told the crowd:
“Across the Six Counties, 367 people were killed by the British Army; 76 of these were children; only three soldiers have ever been convicted, and all were released and allowed to rejoin their units.”
Armed with these facts he continued:
“We know we will never have our day in court; we know that the soldiers will never be convicted; but the families will not stop until there has been an independent, international investigation, until our relatives are declared innocent  and until we receive a public apology for the murder of these 11 people.”

EDUCATION DAY
The following day, the families held a well-attended exhibition and education day to help further inform the republican community in Scotland of their campaign.
This was the second education day hosted by Cairde na hÉireann in Coatbridge in the space of seven days. The first of these centred on ‘Women in Struggle’ and those attending heard talks from two republican ex-POWs, Mary Doyle and Sile Darragh, who were joined by Lore Gallastegi from the Basque movement and Margaret Carmichael who spoke on the role of women in the liberation of Palestine.
A photographic exhibition detailing the different experiences of women in the midst of the three struggles was also on show.

 

• SUPPORT: Coatbridge shows its solidarity with the Ballymurphy Massacre families

 


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