Bloody Sunday Bogside Massacre – Everything to Know

The Bloody Sunday Bogside Massacre was an incident that took place on January 30, 1972 in the city of Derry in Northern Ireland.

 

 

Background of the Sunday Bogside Massacre

The background to the Bloody Sunday Bogside Massacre in Northern Ireland in 1972 was the conflict between the Irish nationalists and unionists who were arguing over the political future of Northern Ireland. The nationalists wanted Northern Ireland to become part of the Republic of Ireland, while the unionists favored continued union with Great Britain. The conflict had intensified over the years, and there had been repeated outbreaks of violence and unrest.

In 1971, the British Internment Act was passed, which allowed suspected Irish republicans to be detained without charge. This led to a massive protest movement among Irish nationalists who demonstrated against the law.

 

 

What Happened at This Massacre

The demonstration took place that day to protest the British Internment Act, which allowed suspected Irish republicans to be detained without charge. The demonstration was attended by about 10,000 people and was peaceful until it was broken up by British soldiers. The soldiers used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd, and eventually they began firing into the crowd. 14 people were killed in the incident, including many civilians. Many others were injured.

The incident led to a deterioration in relations between Irish nationalists and British forces and contributed to an increase in violence and tension in Northern Ireland. The Bloody Sunday Bogside Massacre was later described as one of the worst events during the Northern Ireland conflict and had far-reaching effects on political developments in Northern Ireland and on relations between Ireland and Britain.

 

 

Investigations After the Massacre

Following the Bloody Sunday Bogside Massacre that took place in Derry, Northern Ireland on January 30, 1972, several inquiries were held to investigate the events and determine responsibility for the incident.

The first inquiry was conducted by Lord Chief Justice Widgery and was labeled a “whitewash” (cover-up) because it placed blame on the demonstrators rather than the British forces. The second inquiry was conducted by the Saville Commission, which was set up by the British government to re-investigate the events of 1972. The Saville Commission conducted investigations for several years and published its report in 2010, finding that British forces were responsible for the deaths of the 14 people and that none of the demonstrators had weapons or used force.

Following the publication of the Saville Commission’s report, it was announced that the British government would apologize to the bereaved families of the victims and that no prosecutions would be brought against soldiers or anyone else connected with the Bloody Sunday Bogside Massacre. However, the incident remains an important part of Northern Ireland’s history and is still considered by many people to be one of the worst events during the Northern Ireland conflict.

 

 

Victims

  • James Wray
  • William McKinney
  • Michael Kelly
  • Michael McDaid
  • Kevin McElhinney
  • Bernard “Barney” McGuigan
  • Gerard Donaghy
  • John “Jackie” Duddy
  • Hugh Gilmour
  • William Nash
  • Michael Bridge
  • John Young
  • Patrick Doherty
  • Gerard McKinney

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