Since forming, as a proactive collection of Hillsborough families, survivors and supporters in Feb 1998, the Campaign has struggled to bring Hillsborough and the continued lack of justice back into the public domain on many occassions.
Many people are aware that all clubs now observe a minutes silence on 15th April following the group's letter campaign. In this section you can read on this and other successes the group has acheived, as well as ongoing activites.
Click here to find out the latest news.
The Hillsborough Justice Campaign
PO Box 1089
178 Walton Breck Road
Liverpool
L69 4WR
Tel / fax : 0151 2605262
email: hjcshop@tiscali.co.uk
Peter Etherington's - RAOTL forumite, Evo - account of the Justice Rally (19th Aug 2000)
"... As I said in the speech I made before I read my poem out, I've been haunted by Hillsborough for the last eleven years. I've never spoken to anybody about what I went through that day, not even those closest to me. I always thought the best way I could deal with it was to say nothing. It's only through coming on to this Forum and meeting the wonderful people on it that I have been able, at last, to talk about it. This Forum has brought things out of me I didn't know were there. I don't just mean talking about that horrible day either. For instance, people have been kind enough to say that I have a ! talent as a writer. I didn't know that before I came on here.!
I touched on some of the things that happened to me at Hillsborough when I spoke yesterday. I was in that pen getting horribly crushed and because I was a big, strong fella I was able to fight my way out. Yes, I do mean fight! I did things that day to preserve my own life that I'm not proud of. I punched, kicked and bit, yes I did actually bite somebody, to scrap my way out. I've always felt, and I'll always have it on my conscience, that at least one person might have died that day because of what I did to save my own life. As I say, I'm not proud of it, in fact I'm ashamed of it but I had to do it. It was just pure survival instinct. I had three young children to think of. If I had died that day I would never have seen them grow up to be the fine young adults they are today. I would also have never seen my three beautiful grandchildren. I would have been denied seven years with the most wonderful woman there's ever been on this earth: my Mam.
I quite like public speaking; I've been best man for three of my mates. I don't suffer from nerves. I've been on telly numerous times so I don't have a problem facing people. I can tell you however, standing on that stage yesterday was one of the hardest things I've ever done. The only thing I can equate to it was when I read a poem at my Mam's funeral service. It was something I had to and wanted to do. I cracked a bit afterwards so thanks to everybody for looking after me.
If it was hard for me, think how unimaginably hard it must have been for Pete Carney who went through a truly terrible experience. Think also what it was like for John Glover and Ann Williams who lost their children; that must be the worst thing that can ever happen to anybody. It's bad enough when you lose your parents, it took me months to get over my Mam during which I nearly had a nervous breakdown, but how terrible it must be to lose your child. Those people have my utmost respect and admiration.
John Mackin spoke on behalf of RAOTL. What a fine representative! of ours he is. Sheila spoke very eloquently and educated a lot of us as to the frustrations the HJC feel. Ricky Tomlinson spoke with great passion and told us his response to the Sun's offer to pay him £40,000 to do an advert. You can guess what it was! What a guy he is! He has a career and is obviously a very busy man but he gives his time because he believes so passionately in the cause.
The whole thing was held together marvellously by Kevin Robinson. Sue and her army of helpers did a magnificent job. Thanks to everybody at the HJC for all the hard work they put in.
A common theme that ran through the rally was everybody's hatred of the Sun. Please, if you see any Liverpool supporters with a copy of that scum, try to educate them. Don't preach; educate. Nobody should ever forget what they said about us. They didn't just say it about the people who were there; they said it about people who weren't there. You see it was Scousers in general they were getting! at, not just those at the match. They said it about your Mam and Dad. They said it about your Granny. They said it about the woman next door and the man round the corner. They said it about the ten-year- old kid walking through Stanley Park yesterday. Yes, even him who wasn't born that day, because remember, they were getting at us in general..."
