MP says graffiti seeks to hurt Bloody Sunday families

Foyle MP Colum Eastwood has condemned "hateful sectarian" graffiti in Londonderry, which he said was designed to "hurt and traumatise" the families of Bloody Sunday victims.

Police said a patrol noticed the graffiti on Free Derry Wall near Lecky Road in the city shortly before 01:30 BST on Friday morning.

The graffiti, which has since been removed, is being treated by police as a sectarian-motivated hate crime.

Thirteen people were killed and 15 wounded on 30 January 1972, a day which became known as Bloody Sunday, after members of the Army's Parachute Regiment opened fire on a civil rights demonstration in Derry.

"The hateful, sectarian graffiti that has appeared overnight is disgusting," Eastwood said in a statement.

The SDLP politician said it "seeks to hurt and traumatise the Bloody Sunday families who have fought so long for justice and who deserve the support and compassion of everyone in our city".

The landmark on which the graffiti appeared has recently been the subject of community work to restore and protect it.

"Free Derry Wall is an integral part of the historic and cultural fabric of our city and significant efforts have been made in recent weeks to make sure that it is protected, preserved and restored," Eastwood said.

"It has become a community canvas, drawing attention to civil rights issues at home and abroad for decades."

The Foyle MP appealed for anyone with information about the incident to come forward.