Sinn Féin president Mr Gerry Adams yesterday accused the British government of doing nothing in response to revelations that members of the security services colluded with loyalist paramilitaries to kill nationalists.
Thousands of protesters attended a march in Belfast city centre yesterday where relatives of people killed by loyalists and members of the security forces held up photos of victims, while others held banners stating "Collusion is State Murder".
Mr Adams said the findings of the Stevens report into the murder of solicitor Mr Pat Finucane was the first official recognition of a strategy of state-sponsored killings.
"What happened? Was there an immediate inquiry? Did governments fall? Were politicians, former prime ministers called to boot? Were those running these services called to account? No."
". . . For a long time this was presented as being spontaneous, a few bad apples, something that was just a wee bit out of control. This issue is not going to go away," he added.
Mr David Ervine, leader of the Progressive Unionist Party, and his colleague, former MLA Mr Billy Hutchinson, led a token protest a few hours before the rally.
The group held placards depicting Mr Adams with his hand held over his ears pleading not to be asked about IRA atrocities such as the bombing of Enniskillen and the La Mon Hotel and the Teebane massacre.