Workers are expected to unite in their hundreds at a rally today to send a powerful message to the killers of Kieran Doherty.

Organisers of the rally, which gets under way at 5pm at the Guildhall in Londonderry, said they hope people of all religious and political creeds will stand united against the horrific killing.

Leading figures from each of Northern Ireland’s main trade unions will address the rally, which has been arranged by Derry Trades Union Council (DTUC).

It comes a day after hundreds of mourners gathered for the funeral of Mr Doherty yesterday — five days after he was murdered by the Real IRA and dumped at Braehead Road in the city.

Speaking ahead of the rally, the secretary of Derry Trades Council Liam Gallagher said all the unions had agreed to act after meeting on Friday.

“We are asking everybody to come to this rally to express their anger at this barbaric act” Mr Gallagher said. “We believe it is a throwback to the last 40 years of violence and every individual, regardless of whatever alleged crime has been committed, has the right to compassion and justice.

“That wasn’t given to Kieran Doherty.”

He added: “Mr Doherty was taken out and killed in a fashion you wouldn’t do to an animal in an abattoir. Every person, Protestant, Catholic and dissenter should ensure this kind of behaviour is confined to the dustbin of history. People do not want to go back.”

The killing of the 31-year-old father from the Brandywell has caused widespread revulsion across the entire community.

Clusters of people yesterday lined the one-mile route from the home Kieran shared with his fiancee Mairead and daughter Ceadach to pay their respects.

In June this year Kieran and his fiancee Mairead were to have been making the same journey to the same church at St Columba’s in Long Tower to be married.

Instead, along with Kieran’s mother Christine and his sisters, Lyndsay and Leeanne, she buried him yesterday.