Bloody Sunday

TOPIC: Bloody Sunday
In this week in military history, we look at Bloody Sunday, one of the darkest days of the 30 years of Northern Ireland’s the Troubles.
In an attempt to stem the growing tide of violence in Northern Ireland, the Northern Irish government based Stormont, in Belfast passed a law allowing internment without trial as a way to arrest those suspected of involvement in terrorism.
Widespread protest followed across the province and a large Civil Rights march was scheduled on January 30th, 1972 in the city of Derry. Approximately 15,000 people gathered to participate in this march organized by the North Ireland Civil Rights Association.
The Stormont government had banned such protests and British Army troops were deployed to assist in keeping order in the city.
The marchers’ planned destination was the city center. However, Army barricades and personnel directed the demonstrators towards Free Derry Corner in the predominantly Catholic Bogside area of the city.
Some young people amongst the larger group skirmished with Army personnel and soldiers from the Parachute Regiment moved into make arrests.
The situation escalated as demonstrators threw stones and soldiers used rubber bullets, tear gas, and a water cannon on protestors before beginning to fire live rounds allegedly in response to coming under fire themselves. Thirteen people were killed that day and fifteen wounded.
Widespread public anger resulted and in Dublin the British Embassy was burned to the ground. An initial inquiry into the Bloody Sunday incident followed, but its findings did not find any of the soldiers culpable.
Subsequent inquiry was begun in 1998 and did not conclude until 2010 more than 38 years after bloody Sunday itself. This second inquiry did ascribe blame to the soldiers on the ground, but did so in a fashion that was also controversial.
Join us next time for another segment of This Week in Military History with the Pritzker Military Museum & Library!