Statement by TUV South Belfast spokesperson Andrew Girvin:
“The anniversary of Bloody Friday is a reminder of both the brutal legacy of Republican terrorism and true heroism of ordinary people in the face of terrorism.
“With a total of 19 bombs detonated across the city in an 80 minute period, there can be no doubt that the IRA sought to visit maximum death and destruction on Belfast; and with nine people murdered and some 130 injured they were, horrifically, successful. Even after half a century, there are many for whom the horrific scenes of that day remain embedded in their minds, particularly when it came to the bus station.
“Yet amid the carnage, the heroism of young Stephen Parker deserves to be remembered. The 14 year old was posthumously awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Bravery after he tried to warn people about a device he spotted in car outside row of shops on Cavehill Road. So extensive were his injuries that his father only identified his body by a box of trick matches in his pocket.
“At a time when there are strenuous attempts to rewrite the past and lionise men of violence it is all the more important that true heroes like Stephen Parker are remembered.”