Northern Ireland veterans gather at Parliament to protest Legacy Act repeal plans

Hundreds of military veterans gathered outside the Houses of Parliament to protest against the possible repeal of the Legacy Act.

The demonstration was timed to coincide with a Westminster Hall debate triggered by a petition asking the Government to reconsider, which has reached more than 165,000 signatures.

Some of the protesters carried regimental flags and Union flags, and were flanked by a motorbike procession.

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Then more than 250 veterans marched to Parliament Square to demonstrate their disapproval to the Government.

Among them was Boris, who served six tours with the Parachute Regiment in the 1970s, and his son Richard, who served two tours with the Royal Green Jackets.

Boris said: "Lot of us under persecution for what we didn't do in Northern Ireland. We were sent to NI in 1970, Richard went later, understandable he's younger, for doing our job, and doing it properly.

"We're still persecuted for it now, and it's wrong. Yet all the baddies are not persecuted, simple as that."

Richard added: "100%, yeah, without a shadow of a doubt, braver to put your foot on the ground and risk your life and make other people's lives better and then get persecuted for it 30/40 years later, doesn't make sense."

TheNorthern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act shields veterans from being prosecuted for historic actions between 1969 and 2007 during Operation Banner.

Former paratrooper Mark Whitford, who served six tours in Northern Ireland, thinks the public does not understand what it was like to serve out there.

He said: "They haven't a clue. We were fighting a war against a very vicious enemy. The Labour government are now using lawfare, lawfare to get us out of Johnny Mercer's fantastic bill, it's madness."

Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn said he and Defence Secretary John Healey were engaging with the veteran community and other interested parties about future legislation, and said they would ensure "far better protections" were put in place. 

Mr Benn said: "The Legacy Act has been rejected in Northern Ireland and found by our domestic courts to be unlawful, not least because it would have offered immunity to terrorists."