Alan Black calls the West Tyrone MP’s punishment “a holiday”.
The sole survivor of the Kingsmill massacre has hit out at Sinn Féin after its suspension of West Tyrone MP Barry McElduff.
Alan Black, who was shot 18 times has publicly denounced Sinn Féin’s response saying:
“A three month suspension on full pay, is that a punishment? That’s a holiday.”
McElduff was handed a three month suspension after he posted to Twitter a video of him carrying a loaf of Kingsmill bread on his head, the timing of which coincided with the anniversary of the 1976 Kingsmill Massacre.
The MP removed the video on 6 January, before apologising for causing offence. He later offered to meet with the families of those massacred “if they were willing”, while insisting that he “had not realised or imagined for a second any possible link between product brand name and Kingsmill Anniversary.”
Have deleted video post. Had not realised or imagined for a second any possible link between product brand name and Kingsmill Anniversary.
— Barry McElduff MP (@BarryMcElduff) January 6, 2018
Further, I apologise for any hurt or offence caused. Never my intention to offend anyone who has suffered grievously.
— Barry McElduff MP (@BarryMcElduff) January 6, 2018
Mindful of unintended hurt caused to victims' families I would be very willing to meet with Kingsmill Massacre families if they were willing
— Barry McElduff MP (@BarryMcElduff) January 6, 2018
“I watched all my friends being murdered, my 19-year-old apprentice crying for his mother, and then to watch on Friday a man standing and mocking their deaths, if he was a man of principle he would walk”, Black went on to tell UTV. “If he didn’t know the fifth of January was the Kingsmill massacre, it’s beyond me.”
Michelle O’Neill confirms that Barry McElduff will continue to be paid by Sinn Fein centrally, despite his 3 month suspension. This is a total cop out & a further insult to the memory of those so brutally murdered by the IRA at Kingsmills. Sinn Fein’s respect agenda in tatters.
— Sammy Wilson MP (@eastantrimmp) January 8, 2018
Sinn Féin’s Stormont leader, Michelle O’Neill has said that she does not believe McElduff’s actions were “calculated or deliberately intended to be malicious.”
“I made it clear to Barry that his tweet was ill-judged, indefensible and caused hurt and pain to the victims of Kingsmills,” she said. “It falls far short of the standard expected of Sinn Féin representatives and our members.”
The Kingsmill massacre took place on 5 January 1976, when IRA gunmen stopped a minibus in rural south Armagh and murdered ten Protestant workmen. Alan Black was the only survivor, despite being shot 18 times.
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