Relatives of those killed on Bloody Sunday tonight defended Sinn Fein leader Mr Gerry Adams no-show at the mass rally to mark the atrocity's 30th anniversary.
As up to 20,000 people gathered in Derry to retrace the ill-fated civil rights march which ended in British soldiers killing 13 people, Mr Adams was criticised for his decision to fly instead to the United States.
The Sinn Fein President was among several Northern politicians in New York today attending the World Trade Forum.
In his absence the republican party put up North Belfast MLA Mr Gerry Kelly to address the crowds gathered in the Bogside.
But Mr John Kelly, whose 17-year-old brother Michael was among those shot dead by Paratroopers on January 30, 1972, insisted the families were not angered by his decision.
He said: "We would have been delighted to see him here but under the circumstances we understand and we'll forgive him this time."
Speaking in New York, Mr Adams denied the claims.
He said: "In fact I intend to raise the issue of Bloody Sunday here at the economic forum and when Mr Martin McGuinness is here this week he will attend a special event with Bloody Sunday relatives.
People descended on the city from all over the world in a mass show of solidarity. After a memorial service at Rossville Street, where several of the victims were shot, they assembled at Creggan shops, starting point of the original march.
Under heavy skies, the marchers walked the three-mile route to Free Derry Corner in the heart of the Bogside.
There they heard Mr [Gerry] Kelly stress the shootings had a more profound effect than to merely bolster the IRA's ranks.
He said: "I was a proud IRA man, but to simply describe those events 30 years ago as a recruiting sergeant for the IRA is to grossly underestimate the enormous psychological effect of Bloody Sunday."
Mr Kelly claimed the troops who went into the Bogside on the day of the anti-internment march had a "licence to kill".
He added: "The killing of innocent civilians was well thought out. This violence was methodical and it was politically cleared and approved at the highest level."
Ms Geraldine Doherty, niece of Gerard Donaghy who was 17 when he was killed on Bloody Sunday, told marchers the Saville Inquiry offered the best hope of "healing for our pain".
But she hit out at the decision in the courts to grant the soldiers involved anonymity and the ruling that they did not have to travel to Derry to give evidence to the tribunal.
Her criticisms were backed by Mr Alex Attwood, chairman of the SDLP party, during his address to the crowds.
"The attempts of the British Army and others to stymie the Saville Inquiry creates doubts and mistrust," he said.
PA