Soldiers in Derry on Bloody Sunday

As well as representatives from the main nationalist political parties, people travelled from throughout the UK and Ireland as well as America to take part.

Up to 400 members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians from different cities in the United States made the journey.

Families of the dead rejected criticism of the cost of the Saville Inquiry into the circumstances of the killings, currently sitting in the Guildhall in Derry.

Meanwhile, the Sinn Fein Fein President, Gerry Adam, has defended his decision to attend an international conference in New York rather than speak at the Bloody Sunday rally.

Mr Adams told the BBC he had originally intended to speak, but that he had told relatives of the Bloody Sunday victims "weeks ago" he would be unable to attend.

Gerry Adams: Attending New York conference

He said no snub had been intended, and those involved understood his reasons.

Sunday's rally was the culmination of a number of events to mark the 30th anniversary of the shootings.

On Wednesday - exactly 30 years to the day - several thousand people observed a minute's silence at the Bloody Sunday monument in Derry.

The monument was rededicated by the former Bishop of Derry, Dr Edward Daly, whose hunched figure waving a blood-stained handkerchief became a defining image of the day.

A memorial service was also held at St Eugene's Cathedral in Derry and Irish singer Christy Moore performed a concert in the Rialto Theatre.

The 30th anniversary commemorations took place as the Saville Inquiry, which is looking into the events of that day, prepared to move into a new phase.

It will begin hearing the evidence of police officers when it resumes again on Monday, after more than a year of civilian testimonies.

Establishing facts

Lord Saville and the Commonwealth judges accompanying him on the Bloody Sunday Inquiry began their work nearly four years ago.

They are not expected to report back until 2004, by which time the costs are likely to have exceeded �100m.

The inquiry is to move to Britain temporarily to hear evidence in person from soldiers who refuse to return to Derry.

The Bloody Sunday inquiry was established in 1998 by Prime Minister Tony Blair after a campaign by families of those killed and injured.

They felt that the Widgery Inquiry, held shortly after the shootings, did not find out the truth about what happened on Bloody Sunday.

Witnesses to the inquiry are immune from prosecution on issues arising from their evidence. It is aimed solely at establishing the facts about what happened.