Inquiry focus on march 'warning'

Thirteen civilians were killed on Bloody Sunday

Democratic Unionist party members may have been warned not to organise a counter-demonstration against the civil rights march on Bloody Sunday, the Saville Inquiry has been told.

A former member of the party, James McClelland, recalled receiving a phone call from Stormont MP Desmond Boal which urged DUP members in the city to call off a counter demonstration to a civil rights march.

But while he believed it might have been connected to Bloody Sunday, he could not be absolutely certain.

Lord Saville: Inquiry chairman

The inquiry is examining the events of 30 January 1972 when 13 civilians were shot dead by British army soldiers during a civil rights march in the city. A 14th person died later.

Mr McClelland, who is now a broadcaster and a former Free Presbyterian minister, remembered Mr Boal warning him about one counter-demonstration planned by local party members: "We do not need this kind of brinkmanship at this time."

He told the inquiry that "the Bloody Sunday march or the civil rights march on Bloody Sunday was the only march around that time that could possibly have been described as confrontational and I do not remember any other DUP marches or protests except one... that went ahead".

"So the more I think about it - and this could be completely illogical and could be completely wrong - but the more I think about it, in my head, logic seems to say to me this was the only possible confrontational march.

"Therefore the telephone call must have been about this march but I cannot fix a date on it. I am sorry, I cannot do that.

"Other things about the weekend I can but this telephone call, I cannot fix a date on it.

"I do know it was in a house in Prehen. I lived there at the time - that I do know but as to putting a year or month or a time on it, I just... I simply cannot do it."

Mr McClelland told the tribunal in Londonderry's Guildhall he could not remember being involved in planning a counter demonstration or issuing press statements about it.

He was confronted with two newspaper articles - one quoting the Democratic Unionist Association as warning it would take all necessary steps to stop the civil rights march and another confirming the cancellation of the counter demonstration in Guildhall Square after "government assurances" that the Bloody Sunday march would be stopped.

Evidence

However under oath, he denied having any recollection of issuing statements.

The former Democratic Unionist also did not remember having contact with DUP leader, the Reverend Ian Paisley about a demonstration.

Last month during evidence to the inquiry, Mr Paisley denied having any involvement in a counter demonstration.

Any plans for a demonstration would have been made locally, the North Antrim MP indicated.

Lord Saville of Newdigate and the commonwealth judges accompanying him on the Bloody Sunday inquiry began their work nearly four years ago.

They are not expected to report back until 2004.

The Bloody Sunday inquiry was established in 1998 by Prime Minister Tony Blair after a campaign by families of those killed and injured.

They felt that the Widgery Inquiry, held shortly after the shootings, did not find out the truth about what happened on Bloody Sunday.