Leading up to Bloody Sunday

1
Leading up to Bloody Sunday

• August 1971-Internment Policy-arrest of
  individuals who had acted, were acting, or were
  about to act in a matter that threatened peace
  and order.
• Anyone arrested under this power could be
  detained indefinitely.
• The individual was not allowed a hearing or trial
  prior to their sentencing.
• Hundreds of innocent nationalists arrested.

2
Leading up to Bloody Sunday

• October 1971-British security forces could now
  impose law and order in Creggan and Bogside.
• Minor rioting, street skirmishes, car hijackings,
  and burnings sprang up.

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Leading up to Bloody Sunday

• The Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association
  (NICRA) planned to hold a march in Derry on
  January 30, 1972.
• Protest against internment without trial
• The march would assemble in the Creggan estate
  and go from there to the city center, via the
  Bogside, for a rally in Guildhall Square.

4
Leading up to Bloody Sunday

• The organizers of this march were told it would
  be unlawful, but proceeded anyways.
• A counterdemonstration was planned by unionists
  at the same time and place.
• The government met to decide how to deal with the
  march and counterdemonstration.
• The commander of the 8th Infantry Brigade was put
  in charge of protecting Bogside.

5
Leading up to Bloody Sunday

• The march was to be dealt with in as low a key as
  possible for as long as possible.
• It would go unchallenged if the march took place
  entirely in Creggan and Bogside.
• No action was to be taken against the marchers
  unless they tried to go over the barriers or use
  violence.
• CS gas was not to be used except as a last
  resort.
• An arrest force placed outside barriers.

6
Leading up to Bloody Sunday

• The unionists called off their counterdemonstratio
  n-they were satisfied that the march would not be
  allowed to allowed to proceed to the city center.

7
Bloody SundayJanuary 30, 1972

• The marchers assembled at Creggan Estate.
• Numbers increased as they marched through
  Creggan.
• 10,000-25,000 marchers by Brogside.
• The march turned and headed up Rossville St. away
  from the city center and a direct confrontation
  with the army.

8
Bloody SundayJanuary 30, 1972

• Proceeded up Rossville St. to Free Derry Corner
  where a rally was held.
• Youths began to start fights and throw
  rocks-soldiers responded with rubber bullets and
  1 water cannon-some rioters began to disperse.
• Some marchers headed home, others milled around
  Rossville St. talking, while others continued to
  march to Free Derry Corner.

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Bloody SundayJanuary 30, 1972

• 407pm-the order was given to launch the arrest
  operation.
• Armored vehicles broke through barrier 12 causing
  the remaining rioters and others to run down
  Rossville St. where they merged with a few
  hundred people milling around the street.
• Panic broke out when the armored vehicles sped
  aggressively at the people.

10
Bloody SundayJanuary 30, 1972

• In the panic and confusion, the first shots rang
  out.
• In about 10 minutes 13 people were shot dead and
  13 more were wounded.
• All of the dead and wounded were shot by soldiers
  in the area of Rossville St., Rossville Flats,
  and Glenfada Park.
• There is much debate over the shootings.

11
Bloody SundayThe Immediate Aftermath

• Rioting and shootings broke out in nationalist
  areas all over N. Ireland.
• In the rest of Ireland, there were many street
  demonstrations which resulted in attacks on
  British-owned commercial property.
• The British embassy was burned in Dublin.
• Young men and women all over Ireland began
  signing up to join the IRA in large numbers.
• Public protest marches in cities around the world.

12
Sources

• Mullan, Don. Bloody Sunday. Colorado Roberts
  Rinehart Publishers, 1997.
• Walsh, Dermot P.J. Bloody Sunday. New York St.
  Martins Press, Inc, 2000.

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