Ireland: 50 years of bloody Sunday

January 31, 2022

On 30 January 1972, the British soldiers killed a group of unarmed civilians. These civilians were protesting in the Bogside area of Derry. This incident is referred to as bloody Sunday. In 2022, the people of Northern Ireland marked fifty years of Bloody Sunday.

What happened on Bloody Sunday?

A group of innocent civilians protested against the internment without trial. Internment means jailing someone without any court trials. The prisoners did not have an option to justify their actions. The protest was organised by the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association. The protestors were shot. Some were injured by rubber bullets and others were run down by Army vehicles. The soldiers involved in this massacre were from the first battalion of the Parachute Regiment. The same battalion was involved in the Ballymurphy massacre as well. The protests were mainly against Operation Demetrius. It occurred during the TROUBLES.

Operation Demetrius

It was a British army operation and was held in 1971. During the operation, the British soldiers arrested suspects and they were imprisoned without trials. The suspects were mainly the members of Irish Republican Army. The IRA was fighting for a united Ireland.

The Troubles

The Troubles was an ethno – nationalist conflict. The conflict occurred in Northern Ireland. It lasted for more than 30 years. The Troubles is also referred to as Northern Ireland conflict. The fight was between Protestants and Catholics. However, it was not religious. The Protestants wanted Northern Ireland to stay united with UK. The catholics and the Irish nationalists wanted Northern Ireland to leave UK and join Ireland. The Bloody Sunday occurred mainly for this reason.

What is the impact in current day situation?

Both UK and Northern Ireland have left EU. Ireland is still a part of EU. The Northern Ireland remains an entry point. The EU and UK have locked horns over entry and exit in Irish sea. They had created the Northern Ireland Protocol to fix the issue. However, they have still not come to a conclusion over the issue. Marking the Bloody Sunday amidst the issue is increasing the tensions.

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