Over 2,000 people attended the march and rally organised by the Marshall family to commemorate the life of Lurgan republican Sam Marshall and to demand the truth about British collusion with unionist death squads in his murder.
Among those in attendance were other families who are seeking answers to questions relating to the role of the British state and its intelligence services in the murders of their loved ones.The large procession retraced the route Sam and his two comrades, Colin Duffy and Tony McCaughey, took the night that he was murdered.
In March 1990, the three friends had just finished signing bail at the nearby RUC barracks when two masked gunmen emerged from a car and opened fire. Miraculously, both Colin and Tony escaped death. In the days leading up to the attack, both Colin and Tony and their neighbours noticed that a red maestro vehicle had been following them.
On the night of Sam Marshall’s murder, the three republicans observed the same car on two occasions, once outside St Peter’s Chapel and again outside the RUC barracks.
Since that night questions have been asked about the Maestro car and the role it had to play in the attack. In 1994, during an extradition hearing in north America, RUC inspector Alan Clegg admitted that the car spotted in Lurgan did indeed belong to the British intelligence services and that it was part of an undercover RUC operation on March 7 1990, the date of Sam Marshall’s murder. However, he failed to divulge any other evidence, using the pretext of “national security”.
Shortly after Sam’s murder, a camera which bore the symbols of the British Ministry of Defence and NATO was discovered to have been spying on the home of Colin Duffy.
Relatives of other victims of collusion and british state violence carried photographs of their loved ones and marched along side the Marshall family.
Also in attendence were members of Relatives For Justice and An Fhírinne who campaign on behalf of the families.
There exists well over 400 cases where there was obvious collusion between the killers and the security forces – both in the police and military.
If the British government aren’t willing to tell the truth, then, perhaps, an independent and international inquiry is the only option for hundreds of families.
In her address to the crowd, Fra, a sister of Sam’s, laid the blame for her brother’s murder squarely at the door of the British establishment:
“The policy makers in the NIO, the politicians in Whitehall and Downing Street, the senior people in Special Branch, in MI5 and British Military Intelligence – that’s where the blame and the guilt rests.”
Colin's brother Paul chaired the proceedings. Paul thanked everyone for attending today's event, particularly those who travelled some distance. He continued with a special welcome to all those members of other families present who lost loved ones through collusion, state violence and injustice. He also welcomed members of Relatives For Justice (RFJ) and An Fhirinne which both campaign on their behalf.
Before starting the proceedings proper Paul stated that there would be a showing of the Channel 4 Dispatches programme in relation to Sam's murder which was originally broadcast in 1994 immediately after the ceremony.
Paul continued: " I would just like to say a few words about the ceremony itself: which will commence with an address on behalf of the Marshall family by Sam's sister, Fra.
Other speakers will include Eamon Cairns whose two sons, Rory aged 18, and Gerard aged 22, were murdered in their family home in October 1993.
Eamon will be followed by Pat McNamee and Caitriona Duffy.
There will then be a wreath laying ceremony beside the plaque in memory of Sam and all the victims of collusion and state violence. This will be followed by a minutes silence for all those victims.
A special presentation to the Marshall family will then take place.
The proceedings will formally conclude with Amhrán na Bhfiann."
Video of march and Fra's speech:
Fra's speech: 
“Exactly 20 years ago, my brother Sam was murdered by faceless gunmen at this spot. Twenty years on from that tragic event, I and the rest of my family are still awaiting the full truth to be told as to why Sam died on that terrible night. Like many people here, my family knows certain details about what happened. We know of the death threats issued by the police force in the weeks before his murder. We know of the three unmarked cars belonging to the British security forces that were seen in Lake Street and here in North Street along the route that Sam and his two friends took that night. We know about the red Maestro car. We know about the unidentified men in the sangar at Lurgan barracks.
“We know that this is the spot where Sam died. And we know only too well that, 20 years later, there still has not been any proper or full investigation into his murder.
“Twenty years on from our brother’s murder, there still has been no inquest. Nor has there ever been any public explanation given as to what three unmarked security force vehicles were doing in the vicinity of the murder scene that night immediately before the attack. In the absence of any other explanation, the only conclusion that we, as a family, can come to, is that those vehicles and the undercover police and military personnel in them were there to assist and to provide cover for those who murdered our brother.
“We have many unanswered questions which still remain into Sam’s murder, particularly the whole aspect of state forces conspiracy and collusion with those who pulled the triggers. Responsibility for the murder of Sam rests with those who armed, directed and controlled the killers – those who sent them to target Sam and many other victims in this and other areas – the blame rests with the British government and its forces in Ireland. The policy makers in the NIO, the politicians in Whitehall and Downing Street, the senior people in Special Branch, in MI5 and British Military Intelligence – that’s where the blame and the guilt rests.
“The same people decided who would live and who would die – and these are the same people who controlled the investigations and the courts, and, who, today, remain accountable to no-one. Those who decided who would live and who would die, those who have blocked the investigations and the inquests, those who have prevented the truth being told – those are the same people who today peddle the notion that truth is bad and that we and other families should draw a line under the past. This is their new policy of burying the truth about their policy of collusion and state sanctioned murder in Ireland.
“We should not need to have to remind ourselves time and time again – the British state and its forces organised and directed death squads. The British state and its forces have lied, and still lie, about that fact. Today, the state continues to cover-up and to use every legal mechanism to try and bury that fact.
“In Sam’s case, we know that an inquest will not be permitted to uncover all of the facts. It will be legally ambushed along every step of the road by those who wish the truth to remain hidden. Sam’s death weighed heavily on the mind of our mother, Alice, for many years, right up until she died on November 12 2006. The pair of them were very close, always joking and carrying on. After Sam was murdered, it was obvious to all the rest of us that his loss had hit her very hard. Mum always asked herself and asked us if there was something else which could be done, or if there was something else which we should be doing, in order to find out the truth behind what took place on that night in March 1990. Our mother went to her grave with the many questions which she had still unanswered. Like so many other mothers, she did not receive either closure or justice.
“We are also conscious that there are many other families in the same position as our own – who are still suffering from the pain and grief of their loss – and who still have not known truth or justice during the long years since the unexplained deaths of their own loved ones.
“The truth must finally be told so that all our families can, at long last, receive the justice which has been so sadly and tragically denied to so many. Twenty years on from Sam’s murder, it is time for the truth to be told. The full truth of why so many other families lost their loved ones is the very least that relatives and survivors are entitled to. We can, and we do, take inspiration from the families of the victims of Bloody Sunday in Derry in 1972. Thirty-eight years after the mass murder of their loved ones, they continue with their unparalleled campaign for justice and truth. Even now, the British government is refusing to state whether it will finally publish the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
”The truth is all that those families have asked for. The truth is all that we ask for. The truth is all that so many other families in the same position as our family are asking for. Without the truth in each and every case, then none of us can have justice.”
Eamon Cairns' speech:
Eamon's two sons, Rory aged 18, and Gerard aged 22, were murdered in their family home in October 1993.
Eamon recalled how his own family have suffered at the hands of british state inspired death squads.
He praised the marshall family for their persistence in persuing Sam's murder and thanked them for allowing him to share his own grief and suffering with those who had attended today's rally.
He went on to state that his family was only one of the many who had suffered as a result of collusion and british state violence.
He recalled the names of his close neighbours and friends who had also lost loved ones.
Eamon concluded by recalling happier memories of his two sons Rory and Gerard to the appreciation of the crowd.
Pat McNamee's speech:
"...The family have asked me to speak today in particular about Sam's death and the clear evidence of collusion between British state forces and the loyalist paramilitary organisations. We should however remember that Sam's murder is only one of a catalogue of murders carried out as a result of British government forces' involvement with loyalist paramilitaries.
"There have been many instances in the six counties and indeed in the thirty two counties but I want to speak about Sam's case in particular but in doing so I just want to put it in to context of the other murders and the activities of collusion which were taking place in this country for over thirty years. We should remember that the part played by the British forces in Sam's case was not a one off incident. It wasn't a case of an error of judgement nor was it a case of a few bad apples. It was part of a British government strategy. A strategy designed to terrorise the nationalist community in particular and in doing so to end resistance to British rule in Ireland.
"Collusion, as we call it, was a clearly thought out policy put into practice over thirty years and indeed it's still likely thats it's held in the British government's armoury should they need to use it at any time.
"Many of you, at least the older ones, who are here today will be familiar with many of the cases in this county and nearby this county and I couldnt attempt to mention all the cases of collusion. But just to give it a bit of context over a period of time:
Donnelly's bar in Silverbridge and McCardle's bar in Crossmaglen were bombed and people were killed and injured in 1975. The bombing was carried out with the assistance and information and knowledge of British forces. Again, in order to instill fear into the nationist community. The Reavey brothers, down the road in Whitecross, Brian, Anthony and John were an innocent family killed in their own home. Members of the RUC provided the information and assistance and played an active part in those murders. Eamon Cairns today has mentioned his own two sons who were killed in the six counties. Seamus Ludlow was abducted and killed in 1976 by loyalists in Dundalk with the assistance of British undercover forces. Many other well known cases: Pat Finucane was a solicitor, shot in his home in West Belfast in 1989. Why? Because he was doing his job defending people in court. But as far as some people were concerned he was doing his job too well and he had to be eliminated. Rosemary Nelson, also a solicitor, was doing her job when she was blown up here in county Armagh in 1999. She had defended a number of republicans in court and for that she received a death sentence. Robert Hamil was kicked to death while members of the RUC looked on, nearby, in 1997. And those are only a few instances of collusion that took place in this country during the 1970s, the 1980s and the 1990s. Sam's murder didn't happen in isolation.
"Collusion is a term used to describe the systemic involvement of the British forces in killing ordinary people; civilians, nationalists, republicans and indeed unionists and loyalists. However, it's too soft a term to decribe the active participation of a government, of government forces in the murder of innocent people. And we should have no doubt that those in senior positions within the british government were fully aware and endorsed those activities. The British government endorsed the death squads to terrorise nationalists in Ireland. Death squads are what they would be called in any other part of the world. And death squads are what they should be called here.
"All that happend in a juristiction that is portrayed across the world as an example of democracy. This in what Britain claims to be 'the mother of all parliaments'. If such an act happened in other parts of the world there would be a worldwide outcry. If clear evidence of government murders was revealed in Chile or Venezuela or Columbia there would be calls for military intervention in the interests of justice. If government forces in China or Korea or Somalia or Ethiopia were involved in assisting and facilitating the murders of citizens of that country there would be calls for military embargoes and trade embargoes to bring those regimes to an end. We have to wonder why the international world have been so lethargic in relation to the actions of the British government in this country.
"Many of you are familiar with the circumstances around Sam's murder but I just want to mention a few facts that provide the clear evidence of collusion in this case and these are undisputed facts. Some of these facts have been corroberated by a senior member of the RUC as he gave evidence in an extradition case in California in 1992. Sam Marshall was a republican and was murdered by loyalist paramilitaries 20 years ago on the 7th March 1990, here in Lurgan and we traced his last movements earlier on. Sam had attended the Lurgan RUC station to sign bail immediately before he was attacked and killed. He was with two other men - Tony McCaughey and Colin Duffy who were also signing bail. The three men had been under surveilence for a number of days by british government forces before Sam's death. Indeed when the three men left the barracks a vehicle passed them and I see posters today of that vehicle - a red maestro KJI 1486 -drove past the men as they walked down the street, minutes before they were attacked by loyalist paramilitaries in another vehicle. These facts were confirmed by that senior RUC detective that that maestro was an undercover British forces vehicle. The maestro was only a couple of hundred yards away when the loyalists shot at the three men in view of the police station that they had just left. Those responsible drove 4 or 5 miles away before they abandoned the vehicle and burned the red rover car that had been stolen beforehand. The same senior RUC detective based in Lurgan at the time of Sam's death carried out the investigation into Sam's murder and the allegations of collusion. There were allegations that that same officer was involved in the collusion that led to Sam's death. So he investigated himself. There was no other invesigation into Sam's murder at that time. John Stevens was investigating collusion in the north of Ireland at that time and the case was brought to his attention but he did not investigate Sam's murder. Two men were indeed convicted for hijacking the car that was used in the killing but nobody else has been convicted in relation to Sam's murder. Twenty years on from his death an inquest has not been held. Those are the facts surrounding and the undisputed facts surrounding Sam Marshall's death.
"So were do we go now? The family want the truth published about Sam Marshall's murder. They have no expectation of getting that from any British appointed investigation. The Historical Enquiries Team spoke to the family in more recent times but they haven't heard anything from them in over a year and they are not hopeful for anything coming from that quarter and we shouldnt be surprised. The Historical Enquiries Team were set up by the Northern Ireland Office in conjunction with the PSNI in 2005. They were budgeted to investigate over 3200 cases by 2011. There's little chance of that organisation ever resolving those investigations.
"The problem also remains that some of those alleged to have been involved in collusion remain within the British security system. Whatever one's political views on policing the facts about the RUC and the PSNI are these: On the 3rd of November 2001 the members of the RUC wore RUC uniforms and badges. On the 4th of November, the next day, in 2001 the name of the RUC was changed to the PSNI and the same people were doing the same jobs with new uniforms, new badges and a new name. That's the problem in resolving matters of collusion in this country. Those who are alleged to have been involved in collusion are still involved with the PSNI.
"And then there's 'the elephant in the room' as is often said in the media these days. The British intellegence agencies including MI5 were fundamental to the British government's policy of collusion. There has been much debate about the devolution of policing and justice powers to the Stormont assembly but does it really matter where those powers are? MI5 remains under the supervision of the select commitee in Westminster and the British government refuse to lift the lid of secrecy on the grounds of 'national security'.
"I just want to conclude by saying that it's understandable why the families of victims of collusion don't have any expectations of uptaining the truth about victims under any British investigation. Some of those would tell us that we have to move on. We have to move forward. We're seeking peace and justice. Peace and justice but where did the justice go out of peace and justice. If everyone has to move on and to move forward then the families need the truth. The truth is not going to come voluntarily from the British government or the British forces. This family want an independent international inquiry into the murder of Sam Marshall and all of the catalogue of other victims of collusion....
Colin Duffy's speech, read by his eldest daughter Caitríona:
"On this day 20 years ago, Sam, Tony and I set off on the same journey that you have just walked today. It ended that night with Sam lying dead. It’s a night that has remained fresh and vivid in my own mind as I’m sure it has in the minds of Tony and all Sam’s family, friends and comrades.
"What happened that night was the outworking of a strategy employed by the British over many years in using loyalist murder gangs as an extension to their ranks; to both terrorize the catholic/nationalist population and to portray the conflict as a religious sectarian internal one and to attempt to quell republican resistance.
"Britain’s politicians signed off on this strategy and their military carried it out: What we do know is that on the 7th March 1990 they played an active part in Sam’s murder. They were present all along the route that you have just travelled. They supplied the information, they instructed the murder gang and they gave them all the time they needed to make good their escape.
"We claimed at the time that British forces were involved but some people believed it was just republican propaganda. It was admitted later that we were under surveillance on the night and at the time of the attack. Therefore, there are obvious questions to be asked and answers to be given about their role on the night in question.
"Throughout these past 20 years the Marshall family have been seeking answers but as of yet there have been none forthcoming. 20 Years on we shouldn’t just ask for those answers but we should demand the truth about their undeniable involvement. Justice and fair play demands the truth. The family, friends and comrades demand the truth and all of us should accept nothing less than the truth. We must all stand firmly behind the Marshall family in their quest for truth and justice.
"Sam like many in the republican constituency was imprisoned in Long Kesh. As a political prisoner he joined the blanket protest. He refused to be criminalized or allow the struggle for national liberation to be criminalized. Upon his release he became active in the struggle for a 32 county socialist republic and for an end to British occupation in Ireland, none of which has yet been achieved. The substitute which some would have us accept is an assembly at Stormont but with all the real power retained by the British at Westminster. This is unacceptable to republicans. The ideals that Sam and others like him held are the ideals that we all must not lose sight of and we must continue to struggle for.
"For those of us who knew Sam and knew his politics, we know that he opposed the British occupation of our country. We know that he actively opposed British policing in Ireland. We know that he believed in the establishment of a 32 county socialist republic. Sam made no apologies for these views while alive and neither should we here today.
"We must all demand truth and justice for the Marshall family and all the other families who have suffered at the hands of the British state. Let us all raise our voices and let the call for an international inquiry into British state forces collusion be heard loud and clear. "
Mandy Duffy hangs a wreath under the plaque at the spot where Sam was murdered on behalf of his comrades in North Armagh.
Alex McCrory, a former republican prisoner and ex-blanket man, presents a portrait of Sam to Fra on behalf of republican prisoners.
Sinéad McKenna sings Amhrán na BhFiann:
Speaking after the event, Sam's brother Gary said:
"As a family, we hope that today’s event will highlight the fact that there are many families who are still trying to establish the full circumstances in which their loved one’s died. That is certainly true in the case of well over 400 cases where there was obvious collusion between the killers and the security forces – both in the police and military.
Our Sam was murdered twenty years ago on this date. Twenty years on, there still has been no inquest. Those who directed and planned Sam’s murder, those who conspired with his killers, need to know that our family will not rest until the full truth of what happened in March 1990 finally comes to light.
We believe that there should be an international and independent inquiry into all those cases where British security force involvement with the killer gangs is strongly suspected. If the British government aren’t willing to tell the truth, then, perhaps, an independent and international inquiry is the only option for our family and for hundreds of other families.
Judge Cory recommended independent investigations into those handful of cases which he was asked to examine.
He found that there was a definite case for Britain to answer in relation to the charges of collusion. His examination of those cases led to a number of inquiries, particularly into the murder of Rosemary Nelson, who represented our family until she herself was murdered eleven years ago in March 1999.
Imagine what conclusion Judge Cory would have arrived at if he had been asked to examine those hundreds of other cases - cases like Sam’s, like that of the two young Cairns’ brothers in the Bleary, cases like RoseAnn Mallon in Tyrone – cases where there already is ample evidence of direct police and military involvement.
There are a significant number of people who will be anxious for that truth never to see the light of day.
It is our hope, and the hope of many other families, that those people may yet be disappointed."