THE BLOODY SUNDAY INQUIRY/Day 208: Families of Bloody Sunday victims walked out of the inquiry chamber in protest yesterday as the first of a series of police witnesses began to give evidence from behind screens.
More than 20 serving or former RUC officers have opted to testify from a specially- constructed three-sided witness box which conceals their appearance from the public galleries and the family members' seating, although the witnesses' are identified by name and remain visible to lawyers and tribunal members.
A number of RUC witnesses have not sought screening.
The High Court in Belfast last week ruled against an appeal by the families against the tribunal's decision to grant screening to the police witnesses on foot of their claim that their lives could be endangered if they could be seen by the public, and possibly photographed entering or leaving the Guildhall.
However, in a statement issued after their token 24-hour withdrawal yesterday, the victims' families claimed that some of these witnesses have regularly appeared on television interviews and had given evidence in open court in high-profile trials during the last 30 years.
The families said they were prevented from seeing the faces and demeanour of the RUC witnesses when they were asked questions by lawyers, and it was difficult to hear the evidence given from inside the wooden box.
"This is particularly frustrating for us as Prime Minister Blair promised us an open, transparent and public inquiry," they said.
The chamber is cleared before and after each screened witness takes the stand, and the families said this is a humiliating experience.
"There is an obvious inference that we are a threat to these witnesses," their statement said.
"We have publicly and consistently said that no one should feel under threat by coming to Derry to give their evidence This applies as equally to current or former RUC officers as to current or former members of the British army".
Yesterday two screened police witnesses separately gave evidence of hearing two single high- velocity shots fired in Rossville Street, apparently in the direction of security forces, during Bloody Sunday.
Former Constable Samuel Ballantyne said that he did not know whether the shots were army or civilian, but he assumed they were coming towards him, because he took cover behind an army lorry.
Sgt Samuel Simpson, who was at the same location, said he recalled two shots being fired "over our heads", and he had "assumed that they were fired from the Rossville Flats".
Mr Arthur Harvey QC, for victims' families, however, suggested that there was no other evidence of just two single high-velocity shots being fired in Rossville Street. He pointed out that a third RUC witness - Constable Falkingham - also says in his written statement that there were two shots.
Mr Harvey said there was perhaps a natural desire for police officers to produce a uniform version of events. He suggested to Sgt Simpson that if three police officers witnessed the same events, "they conferred to ensure that they produced an account which was similar".
The witness said he would not agree with that.
There was heavy police security in place around the Guildhall as the screened witnesses were led from a back door of the building, shielded from photographers by wooden screens carried by other officers. They were driven away in a car with darkened glass windows.
A number of Sinn Féin councillors complained to police when one of their number was prevented from driving his car into the councillors' parking area behind the Guildhall. They said they were there for a regular meeting of party councillors in the building and had never been prevented from parking there during the two years the inquiry has been sitting.
Police officers eventually allowed Mr Tony Hassan to park in the area, but refused to give their names to councillors or the press, and would not comment on the incident.
The inquiry continues today.