Derek Wilford commanded the Parachute Regiment on Bloody Sunday
Under Wilford’s command the 1st Battalion of the Parachute Regiment murdered ten people in Ballymurphy, 14 in Derry and two men on the Shankill Road.
Wilford died last Friday at the age of 90.
People Before Profit’s Foyleside Councillor Shaun Harkin says: “Wilford told the BBC that he could not recall the gunning down of 10 innocent people in Ballymurphy in three days.
“Wilford was the officer who led the paratroopers in the Bogside killing 14 people and wounding 15 others during Bloody Sunday.
“He was also the officer who ignored the orders of his superior and sent his soldiers into the Shankill area, where they shot dead two Protestant men and wounded others.
“Wilford never expressed any remorse or accountability for his actions, and instead defended his soldiers and blamed the victims.
“He was rewarded with an OBE by the British government, while the families of the victims were denied the truth and justice they deserved for decades.
“People Before Profit reject the Tory Legacy Bill that would grant amnesty to those accused of killings during the Troubles and prevent any new investigations or prosecutions.
“The British government must uphold its obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights and the Good Friday Agreement, and ensure that the families of the victims have access to effective remedies, including criminal accountability, truth recovery, and reparations.
“General Sir Michael Jackson the former top soldier in Britain should not be allowed to sleep easy in his bed.
“He is responsible for the cover-up and whitewash of the Bloody Sunday massacre.
“Jackson was the adjutant of the Parachute Regiment on Bloody Sunday, and he was involved in fabricating false accounts and evidence to justify the shootings.
“We stand with the Bloody Sunday families in demanding that Jackson should face prosecution for his complicity in the Bloody Sunday massacre and subsequent cover-up.
“There will be no tears shed for Wilford in Derry but there are still tears shed everyday for those gunned down by his Para thugs.”
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