European day of remembrance for terror victims to be marked at Westminster

A Europe-wide day of remembrance for victims of terrorism will be marked with events at Westminster and Stormont.

A number of buildings, including the Island Arts Centre in Lisburn and St Columb’s Cathedral in Londonderry, will be lit up red on Wednesday in recognition of the European Remembrance Day for Victims of Terrorism.

Geraldine Ferguson, the mother of Sapper Patrick Azimkar, one of two soldiers killed by dissident republicans outside Massereene Barracks in Co Antrim, and Simon Utley, who survived the Hyde Park bombing in 1982, will speak at the event at Westminster on Wednesday.

An event at Stormont on Monday will be addressed by Travis Frain, who was injured in the 2017 Westminster Bridge attack, John Sproule, whose brother Ian was killed by the IRA in 1991 in Co Tyrone, Denise Mullen, whose father Denis was killed by loyalist terrorists in 1975, and Pastor Stephen Thompson, whose aunt Yvonne Dunlop was killed by a bomb in 1976.

Kenny Donaldson, director of victim’s group SEFF (South East Fermanagh Foundation), who helped organise the events, thanked TUV MLA Timothy Gaston and Lord Tom Elliott for sponsoring the Stormont and Westminster events.

He also pressed the Government to drive policy changes to support victims and survivors.

“Lighting up for European Day of Remembrance of Victims of Terrorism is an important symbolic representation of support for innocent victims/survivors of terrorism,” he said.

“This year a range of organisations and public authorities are getting on board in turning red on the evening of Wednesday 11 March, and we thank all those local drivers making this happen.

“We continue to encourage the widest possible support in recognising this day, but also, from this year onwards, the United Kingdom has an official National day of Remembrance for Victims of Terrorism – 21 August. This is the same date as the International Day of Remembrance of Victims of Terrorism and has now been adopted by the UK Government.

“We have recognised this date for some years and held an official event last August, bringing together innocent victims and survivors from across the international world.

“But recognition dates in and of themselves aren’t enough – governments must drive policy changes which deliver for innocent victims/survivors of terrorism across their full needs – health and wellbeing, welfare, justice, truth and accountability, compensation and acknowledgement schemes and other practical needs.”