Legendary civil rights activist Ivan Cooper has died at the age of 75.
A working class Protestant, Mr Cooper was on the march on Bloody Sunday, and backed families of the victims earlier this year in their call for prosecutions over 13 deaths on January 30 1972.
Paying tribute to the campaigning giant, SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said Mr Cooper and his "passion for justice continued to burn brightly into his later years".
“Ivan Cooper was born to break the mould," said the Foyle MLA.
"A working class Protestant man who saw a common injustice and inequality that had taken root in Protestant and Catholic communities, he dedicated his life to fighting it.
“As an early leader in the Civil Rights Movement, few have contributed as much to peace and equality on this island than Ivan. Organising marches in Derry for the right to a home, the right to a job and the right to a vote, Ivan often put himself in the path of danger to secure justice for people in every community."
Mr Eastwood said the campaigner suffered vilification and even violence for his convictions - but it never stopped him.
"Alongside his close friend John Hume, he helped blaze the trail on the path that led to the Good Friday Agreement," said the SDLP leader
“Anyone who knew Ivan knows that his selfless passion for justice continued to burn brightly into his later years. His unwavering belief that people on this island should come together to fight for common ideals and in their common interest is a lesson for us all. Especially as we face political division today.
“A man of sharp contrasts, sharp intellect and, it must be said, sharp tongue, he stands as a giant in the story of this island. And he holds a special place in the hearts of SDLP members.
“I want to express my deepest sympathies to Ivan’s wife Francis, his daughters Sinead and Bronagh and his entire family circle at this difficult time."
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