Anger, despair, sadness, and some acceptance characterised the emotions of relatives of victims of prisoners released yesterday.
Mr Ciaran O'Doherty's daughter was shot and injured, and several of his friends killed, in the UFF gun attack on a bar in Greysteel in 1993.
"Vicious thugs who came into a bar to shoot old people and young people should never be released. It doesn't matter what side of the community they come from, or whether it's Protestant bars, Catholic bars or bookies' offices," he said.
Mrs Rose Fahey, who was badly injured in the same attack, said she could never forgive those responsible. The killers should have served longer sentences because "seven years in prison was not enough of a penance", she said. For the sake of her grandchildren, Mrs Fahey said, "if it's for peace I'm prepared to accept it."
"I reared my family all through the Troubles and I am sure I am not the only one tired of it all. But I will always be aware of the fact they are out there and that is very frightening."
Mr William Frazer, of south Armagh-based Families Acting for Innocent Relatives, demonstrated against the releases outside the Maze. He lost his father, two uncles and two cousins to republican violence.
"A lot of our families were asked to go out and protect the community, to serve law and order. There was acceptance that they would probably pay with their lives and they paid with their lives upholding law and order - but law and order no longer exists in this country.
"These terrorists who have been classified as heroes will be out partying, laughing and joking while we will be comforting people in tears, attempting to explain what this is all about," he said.
Ms Michelle Williamson lost her mother Gillian, and father George in the Shankill bombing which took place only a few weeks before Greysteel. She blamed politicians for the release of the surviving bomber.
"Sean Kelly, a psychopathic murderer, has walked free and I lay the responsibility at Mr Trimble's feet.
"I have tried all in my power to stop this injustice but I was never going to be allowed to win. Ultimately Sean Kelly will go before his judge and he will rot in hell," she said.
Mr Alan McBride's wife, Sharon, was killed in the same bombing. He said he was frightened of what he would do if he met Kelly.
Mr McBride said prisoner releases were "part and parcel of the Good Friday Agreement and the peace process. I've had to accept it but I've never said I felt it was just, quite the opposite.
I've always thought this one part of the agreement was wrong and unjust.
"Having said that, we wouldn't have had the Good Friday agreement or a peace process and the setting up of a government if it hadn't included prisoner releases."
The brother of Mr Inam Bashir who was killed in the 1996 bombing of London's canary wharf said: "We, like all the victims and their families, have been betrayed by the British government in the cause of peace which, this way, will never be real."