Controversy Over Use of Bloody Sunday Footage
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has faced criticism for incorporating footage of soldiers from Bloody Sunday in a social media video opposing prosecutions related to the Troubles. The video, which challenges proposed reforms to the Legacy Act, was shared on Tuesday and features soldiers entering the Bogside area of Londonderry on 30 January 1972.
On that day, thirteen people were shot dead when the British Army opened fire on civil rights demonstrators. Last year, a former Paratrooper, referred to as Soldier F, was acquitted of murder and attempted murder charges connected to the incident.
NI has reached out to the Conservative Party for comment regarding the video.
MP Colum Eastwood Labels Video 'Disgusting and Disgraceful'
Foyle MP Colum Eastwood expressed strong disapproval of the footage's use. The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) representative stated:
"I am shocked, frankly, that Kemi Badenoch has posted a video trumpeting the service of British soldiers in Northern Ireland using footage from Bloody Sunday,"
"It is disgusting, disgraceful and it is an insult to the innocent civil rights protesters who were murdered in Derry in January 1972."
The video was disseminated across multiple Conservative Party social media platforms and Badenoch's X account before being removed on Friday.
Eastwood further commented on X, urging the Conservative leader to apologise:
"[She] should apologise directly to the Bloody Sunday families and acknowledge that the politics of prioritising the interests of soldiers over the needs of victims is wrong."
Background on Bloody Sunday Incident and Aftermath
In addition to the thirteen fatalities, at least fifteen others sustained injuries during Bloody Sunday. The 2010 Saville Inquiry concluded that none of those shot were posing a threat or engaged in activities that would justify the use of lethal force.
Then-Prime Minister David Cameron issued a formal apology for the soldiers' actions, describing the killings as "unjustified and unjustifiable."
In October 2025, Soldier F was found not guilty of the murder of William McKinney, aged 26, and James Wray, aged 22, as well as the attempted murder of five others during the same event.
Kemi Badenoch's Video and Government Reforms
In the video posted earlier this week, Badenoch criticised the government's planned reforms to the Legacy Act, which addresses Troubles legacy cases. She argued that these reforms would result in veterans who served in Northern Ireland being "dragged back into court" and subjected to "fresh legal battles at the end of their lives."
"This is not justice,"
she stated, adding that Britain "should stand behind our veterans, not put them on trial decades later."
Response from Victims' Families and Political Figures
Eastwood accused the Conservative Party's promotional video of prioritising the interests of British soldiers over those of victims and survivors:
"The video is entirely about elevating the interests of British soldiers over the needs of victims and survivors."
He expressed sympathy for those affected by Bloody Sunday:
"My thoughts are with the families of the murdered and injured on Bloody Sunday. They have been forced to endure decades of pain and struggle but have maintained immense dignity throughout."
Eastwood also noted that the political climate remains distant from the apology issued by former Prime Minister David Cameron:
"We're a long way away from former Prime Minister David Cameron's powerful apology for the actions of soldiers on that day."
