>>>>>> A brief history of Bloody Sunday


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On January 30, 1972 -- 30 years ago today -- British soldiers
opened fire on a civil rights demonstration in Derry.  Thirteen
protestors were killed.

Those who died were: Bernard McGuigan (41), Gerard V. Donaghy
(17), Hugh P. Gilmore (17), John F. Duddy (17), James Mc Kinney
(34), James J. Wray (22), John P. Young (17), Kevin McElhinney
(17), Michael G. Kelly (17), Michael M. McDaid (20), Patrick J.
Doherty (31), William A. McKinney (27), William N. Nash (19).

John Johnston (59) died later as a result of injuries received.

The following is a brief history of Bloody Sunday, with
background and subsequent reaction, taken from the extensive
website of the Bloody Sunday Trust at http://bloodysundaytrust.org
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BACKGROUND TO BLOODY SUNDAY


The Government of Ireland Act (1920) created Northern Ireland
(N.I.) by dividing the 6 north-eastern counties of Ireland from
the other 26 counties. These 6 counties, Fermanagh, Antrim,
Tyrone, Derry, Armagh and Down, had a majority of Unionists. The
other 26 counties, and Ireland as a whole, had a
Nationalist/Republican majority and had supported Sinn Fein in
its attempts to establish an independent Ireland.

The northern Unionists refused to live in an Ireland that would
be controlled by Nationalists/Republicans. As a result of this
the British Government created Northern Ireland. One third of the
population of Northern Ireland were Nationalists/Republicans, who
did not want to be divided from the rest of Ireland.

Throughout its history NI was unstable. Unionists, fearing attack
from the Irish Republic and their Nationalist neighbours, would
not share power with Nationalists and gerrymandered electoral
boundaries in areas in which Nationalists were in the majority to
ensure that Nationalists were denied power.

Nationalists resented being governed by the Unionists and saw
little hope in elections, because they were unable to win power.
The Unionist party could not be defeated by the Nationalist party
because when NI was created it was designed to always have a
Unionist majority.

The state of NI was attacked by militant Republicans - the IRA,
in the 1920's, 1930's, 1940's, 1950's and 1960's. Between 1956 -
1962 the IRA had attacked NI but in 1962 they stopped because
they had no support from Nationalists living there.

It seemed in the 1960's that the possibility of a settlement
might exist.Sean Lemass, the Taoiseach met Terence O'Neill, the
Prime Minister of N.I, to discuss improving relations. This
enraged some Loyalist extremists and the UVF became active again
in 1966.

But within the Nationalist community, while concern about the
border was decreasing, there was increasing anger about
discrimination in jobs, housing and voting rights.

This led to the formation of the Northern Ireland Civil Rights
Association on the 1st February 1967. The NICRA took to the
streets to demand their aims, which were:

1. One man one vote in local elections
2. the removal of gerrymandered boundaries
3. anti-discrimination laws
4. fair allocation of public housing
5. repeal of the special powers act
6. disbanding the RUC

On 5th Oct 1968, in Derry City, the worlds media witnessed civil
rights demonstrators being attacked by the police. This turned
the Civil Rights Movement into a mass movement.

In November 1968, in response to the Civil Rights campaign,
Terrence O'Neill announced the following Reform Package.

1. local councils to allocate housing on a points system
2. an Ombudaman to be appointed to appoint grievances
3. Derry Corporation to be replaced
4. local gov to be reformed
5. Special powers act to be reformed

These reforms angered Unionists who opposed any change and failed
to satisfy Nationalists, who wanted more changes. Terence O'Neill
was in trouble.

In Jan 1969 a civil rights march from Belfast to Derry took
place. On the last day the march was attacked by loyalists twice
before reaching Derry. That night rioting took place. Relations
between Derry's Nationalists, the police and government got
steadily worse. On 12th August 1969, during the annual Unionist
Apprentice Boys parade in Derry, violence erupted.

As the parade passed the edge of the Bogside stones were thrown.
Police responded by driving the Nationalists into the Bogside but
when they tried to follow them into the area they were stopped.
Petrol bombs, stones and bottles were used by the residents to
stop the police from entering. After 2 days the police, exhausted
and demoralized, were replaced by British Soldiers. The rioting
ended in Derry when it became clear that the soldiers wouldn't
try to enter the Bogside.

The violence in Derry ended but in Belfast it continued into the
next day, with 6 people being killed, 150 homes burnt and 3,500
families fleeing their homes. On 15th August British soldiers
were on the streets of Belfast.

Violence continued and the IRA, who had been all but extinct in
Aug 1969, became more involved. In Belfast clashes between
Nationalists and Unionists continued and in July 1970, following
one of these clashes, the Army sealed off the Lower Falls area
for 2 days.

As violence increased the Stormont government came under
increasing pressure to clamp down on the IRA, and on 9th August
1971 internment was introduced.

Across NI 342 men were arrested and imprisoned without trial. The
reaction of the Nationalist community was furious.This anger was
reinforced when news of the treatment of the internees, the
"hooded men" became known. This anger took the form of increased
support for the IRA. It was also expressed in a series of protest
marches organized by NICRA.

One of the protests took place in Derry on the 30th Jan 1972, the
day that is now known as Bloody Sunday.


EVENTS OF THE DAY

As thousands of Civil Rights marchers set off from the Bishops
Field in Creggan just before 3 o'clock the mood was upbeat. The
sun was shining, the air was crisp and the atmosphere was akin to
a carnival. The march had been banned by the Stormont government
but there was no sense of fear as the marchers, singing and
chanting, wound their way down from Creggan and through the
Brandywell and Bogside. It was common knowledge that the IRA had
withdrawn from the Bogside.

As the march reached the Army barricade at William St. the great
bulk of protesters followed the platform party on a lorry. A
minor confrontation occurred at this barricade but by the
standards of Derry in 1972 it was low key and as 4.00pm.
approached it was petering out.

At 3.55pm., away from the riot at the bottom of William St.,
Paratroopers opened fire. 5 shots were fired from a derelict
building on William St. 2 men, 59 year old John Johnston and 15
year old Damien Donaghy, were hit.

At approximately 4.07pm. the order was given for the 1st
Battalion the Parachute Regiment to begin an " arrest "
operation. 3 minutes later soldiers of the Support Company began
firing. By 4.40pm. the firing had ceased.

As the Paras advanced 2 people, 18 year old Alana Burke and 53
year old Patrick Campbell were hit by military vehicles. Rubber
bullets were initially fired and then the unmistakable sound of
live rounds was heard. 17 year old Jackie Duddy lay dying and
Margaret Deery, Micheal Bridge, Micheal Bradley and Patrick
McDaid had been wounded.

As people fled for safety the shooting continued. Hugh Gilmore
was murdered as he sought safety in the Rossville Flats. Paddy
Doherty was murdered as he tried to crawl to safety and Barney
McGuigan, hearing the dying man's cries, was murdered as he
attempted to go to his aid.

Kevin McElhinney was shot as he tried to crawl to safety in the
Rossville Flats. Micheal Kelly fell at the rubble barricade, as
did John Young, William Nash and Micheal McDaid. Three of these
young men may have been shot from Derry's walls by British Army
snipers and Alexander Nash, the father of William, was wounded as
he went to his son's aid.

As people sheltered in Glenfada Park, away from the carnage on
Rossville Street, they were unaware that 4 Paras were
approaching. When these soldiers came into view the crowd
attempted to escape. Joe Friel, Daniel Gillespie, P. O'Donnell
and Joe Mahon were wounded.

Jim Wray, wounded and unable to move, lay just yards from his
grandparents home. A Para murdered him as he lay wounded and
defenceless. Gerard Donaghy, Gerard McKinney and William McKinney
were killed as they sought to escape the murderous advance.

In the immediate aftermath of Bloody Sunday the British Army
claimed that they had come under sustained attack from gunmen and
bombers. Not one soldier was treated for injuries received on
Bloody Sunday. No weapons or explosives were seized by the
military save for 4 nail bombs that were planted on Gerard
Donaghy by the authorities.


REACTION TO EVENTS

National and international reaction to Bloody Sunday, which
included worldwide protests led to a clash between the Stormont
government and Westminster.

Brian Faulkner, a hardline Unionist who had become the Prime
Minister of N.I. in March 1971, wanted even stronger security
measures.

The British PM Edward Heath demanded complete British control of
security, law and order and the judiciary:

* Introduction of Direct Rule. The Stormont government was
suspended on 24thMarch 1972 and responsibility for the running of
NI now rested with Westminster.

* Increase in violence. In the 3 years prior to Bloody Sunday 210
were killed in troubles. In the 11 months after Bloody Sunday 445
people lost their lives.

* Widgery Inquiry launched. The English Lord Chief Justice, Lord
Widgery, was appointed to investigate the events of Bloody Sunday

Before announcing the inquiry the English PM, Edward Heath, met
Lord Widgery and told him it must be quick and that a military
and propaganda war was being fought in NI. The Nationalist
community was unaware of this meeting and unaware of what Lord
Widgery decided at this meeting.

Lord Widgery decided the inquiry should :

-Examine if the army shot indiscriminately at the crowd or only
at certain identified targets, not if the people shot were
unarmed.

-Look only at the events of a limited time span on the day
itself, from the first shot to the last.

-Take as little time as possible.

Many people in Derry were angry that a British judge had been
appointed to investigate the actions of the British Army. Some
advised that the Inquiry should be boycotted but the majority of
people decided to attend. As a result the people of Derry
co-operated with the Inquiry but they were amazed at the results
of the investigation.


THE CAMPAIGN FOR JUSTICE

For the people of Derry, particularly the relatives and wounded,
the tragedy of Bloody Sunday was compounded by the obscenity of
Widgery.

The Widgery Tribunal was regarded within Derry with contempt but
it was the "Official" account of Bloody Sunday. This account,
however, was never accepted by the people of Derry and every year
since 1972 a march has taken place in the city to commemorate
those killed and wounded as they marched for Civil Rights.

In 1992 members of the relatives, wounded and their supporters
came together to establish the Bloody Sunday Justice Campaign, a
non-political organization committed to securing Truth and
Justice.





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