Derry marchers demand human rights for all

Derry Mayor Gearóid Ó hEara and Belfast republican Martin Meehan were among hundreds of people who took to the streets of Derry on Saturday 2 October to mark the anniversary of the famous civil rights march in the city in 1968 that was attacked by the RUC.

Around 400 people retraced the route of the original march to Guildhall Square, where they heard speakers highlight the growing tide of homophobiac and racist attacks in the city, as well as the continuing detention of eleven Muslims in Belmarsh Jail in England.

One of the organisers, Eamon McCann, linked the "hysterical anti-Muslim bigotry which has emerged in the wake of September 11 to the abuse of human rights in Guantanamo Bay and Belmarsh Jail to attacks on gay people here in Derry and attacks on people of a different colour in Belfast". He urged people to voice their support for the protection of the rights of gay people in law.

Gearóid Ó hEara praised the gay community in Derry for having the courage to force the issue of homophobia to the top of the agenda and called on communities to stand up against attacks on gay people.

"People from all over this city and beyond, people of every class, colour, creed, political persuasion and none came here together and declared that we must stand together and protect the civil rights of everyone," he said.

Martin Meehan told An Phoblacht he had travelled to Derry to show solidarity with people across the Six Counties who are still denied their basic human rights and said the original demands of 1968 are still relevant today.

"I marched in Derry in 1968 for human rights and equality for all, and here we are in 2004 demanding the same civil liberties. This is just not a commemoration of the original demonstration but a rally to highlight ongoing civil rights abuses."

The march coincided with the release of figures revealing that 15 out of 33 homophobic attacks reported across the Six Counties during a 12-week period between April and August this year were carried out in Derry.

The latest statistics come as no surprise to David McCartney, chairperson of the Derry based Rainbow Project, a support and advice group for gay men and lesbians, who believes the real figures are much higher and will continue to rise.

"We believe the number of attacks between April and August this year has exceeded 30. But this isn't anything new. The threat has always been there but it's just been invisible."