Free Derry, 2022, BBC News
Ireland's Bloody Sunday:
Failures of Debate and Diplomacy
Beginning Events
There were numerous protests that led up to the events on Sunday January 30th, 1972, the day that will go down in history as Bloody Sunday. At 3 PM, strongly supported by the IRA, who were infamous for violence regarding separation of Northern Ireland from Britain’s rule, Catholic demonstrators headed towards the city center. When army barricades blocked their entrance, most of the demonstrators headed towards the Free Derry corner, by the Bogside.
Retaliation
Shortly before 4 PM, demonstrators threw stones towards the soldiers. Violence occurred because the NICRA wanted peaceful protests, and the IRA did not want to be mistakenly known as the NICRA; so, instead of the IRA using diplomacy with the NICRA to work together, the IRA couldn’t have cared less about improving their chances of winning the battle. Soldiers retaliated by shooting rubber bullets and tear gas into the crowd. By 4:07 PM, British paratroopers were deployed to arrest as many demonstrators as possible. By 4:10 PM, paratroopers had shot 108 live bullets towards the demonstrators.
Riot, 2010, History.com
Paratroopers, 1972, Belfast Telegraph
Demonstrators getting harmed, 1972, The Spectator
Arrested Catholics forced to stand by fence, 1972, The Guardian
Citizens getting arrested, 1972, Belfast Telegraph