Hundreds of Veterans gathered in Parliament Square yesterday in a powerful show of defiance against what they describe as a “two-tier justice system” that protects terrorists while leaving Northern Ireland veterans exposed to historic legal claims.
The protest came as a public petition demanding the Government repeal the controversial Legacy Act, which veterans say strips them of vital legal protections, forced a debate in Westminster Hall.
Among the crowd were servicemen from all walks of military life, including veterans from the Parachute Regiment, Fusiliers and Royal Artillery. But the most striking presence was that of Special Air Service (SAS) veterans, some attending a demonstration for the very first time, quietly united by a shared sense of injustice.
“Just look for the scruffiest buggers,” joked George Simm, former Regimental Sergeant Major of the SAS, when asked to identify genuine Special Forces veterans. Many avoided military insignia altogether, wary of the attention from the media.
Ian, an SAS veteran who preferred to keep his identity private, summed up the anger felt by many:
“It’s one rule for us and another for the terrorists. The SAS followed the strict ‘yellow card’ rules of engagement just like every other military unit in Northern Ireland. Yet terrorists get comfort letters from Tony Blair, while we face endless lawfare.”
He recounted a harrowing incident when an IRA terrorist drenched the hedge where he was hiding with petrol, then sent a child forward with matches, fully aware the SAS would not shoot a child. The soldiers were later treated in hospital for burns.
Former SAS commander Colonel Tim Collins, known for his stirring speech to troops before the Iraq invasion, condemned the government’s legal onslaught:
“This lawfare is a cynical attempt to win praise from international legal bodies and to bleed public funds by using veterans’ own money against them.”
Conservative MPs with military backgrounds also voiced their support. Lincoln Jopp MC, a Scots Guards veteran of four tours in Northern Ireland, recalled:
“We were trained to know that it’s better to be tried by twelve than carried home by six. Now, sadly, that’s no longer true.”
The protest also featured a Chelsea Pensioner in full scarlet uniform, a rare and poignant sight, who attended despite the risk of repercussions. Rolling Thunder, a band of veteran bikers campaigning for legal protections, brought the noise with around 200 motorcycles roaring through Parliament Square and the Embankment, flags waving defiantly.
One biker, Rob from Brentford, rode with a skeleton passenger sporting a T-shirt reading: ‘Labour Loves A Terrorist’, a stark political message underscoring the veterans’ outrage.
With growing public support and Parliament now forced to debate the issue, veterans are determined to fight back against what they see as a betrayal of those who served with honour in Northern Ireland.
