Bloody Sunday

Shooting dead of 13 unarmed demonstrators in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, on 30 January 1972, by soldiers from the British Army's 1st Parachute Regiment. One wounded man later died from an illness attributed to the shooting. The demonstrators were taking part in a march to protest against the British government's introduction of internment without trial in Northern Ireland on 9 August 1971. The British government-appointed Widgery Tribunal found that the paratroopers were not guilty of shooting dead the 13 civilians in cold blood. In January 1998, however, British prime minister Tony Blair announced a new inquiry into the events of Bloody Sunday, the results of which were still awaited as of August 2007.

Other incidents The term ‘Bloody Sunday’ is also used to refer to a number of other historical shootings: notably, in Dublin on 21 November 1920, the killings conducted by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in which 13 died, and retaliatory shootings by the government's Black and Tans, who killed 3 IRA leaders, and later opened fire at a Gaelic football match in Croke Park, Dublin, killing 12 spectators; the massacre in Russia by tsarist troops of 1,000 protesters in St Petersburg on 2 January 1905 during the Russian Revolution; and in Britain on 13 November 1887, the dispersal by police of a meeting in Trafalgar Square organized by the Social Democratic Federation to demand the release of Irish nationalist William O'Brien, resulting in over 100 casualties.

The confrontation of 1972 The Unionist-dominated government of Northern Ireland had banned the march. By 1972 it had feared that the country was heading into anarchy, and sought to diffuse the situation by banning such demonstrations. The British Army established roadblocks to stop the marchers leaving the nationalist Bogside Estate in Londonderry. When the demonstrators reached the barricades, many started to throw stones and petrol bombs at the soldiers. The violence escalated rapidly and members of the 1st Parachute Regiment opened fire on the protesters. Many of the soldiers claimed to have been shot at from the flats overlooking the streets, although the demonstrators maintained that no shots were fired. The incident left 13 people dead or dying on the streets of Londonderry, and became one of the defining moments in the history of Ireland and Britain. Irish nationalists and republicans view the dead of Bloody Sunday as murdered by the British. In the immediate aftermath of the incident, Britain was widely condemned for the killings. A local Catholic priest declared, ‘It was a massacre – the British Army should hang its head in shame after today's disgusting violence.’

Government inquiries The British government-appointed Widgery Tribunal found that the paratroopers were not guilty of shooting dead the 13 civilians in cold blood. It also failed to show that the demonstrators were armed or posed a significantly larger threat to the Army than in previous demonstrations. Nationalists and republicans accused the Widgery Inquiry of being a whitewash. It simply reinforced their belief that Catholics could not get justice in Northern Ireland. Support for the IRA continued to grow and the murders continued on both sides.

As part of the ongoing Northern Ireland peace process, and to meet republican and nationalist demands for the truth, British prime minister Tony Blair announced the Saville Inquiry in January 1998. This new inquiry into the events of Bloody Sunday began in Londonderry in March 2000, with the aim of ending the debate over Bloody Sunday by finding out the truth in a manner acceptable to all those involved. However, the inquiry has had a very difficult time getting witnesses to testify. Support from both the paratroopers and the victims' families has been conditional, and both sides are likely to accept only those findings that suit their point of view. The inquiry came to an end in December 2004 but had yet to report as of August 2007. Bloody Sunday, January 1972, continues to divide politicians and public in Northern Ireland as part of the history of ‘the Troubles’.