Bloody Sunday
Image taken from evesmag.com
Although this name has been given to many infamous events throughout history, none of them can compete with the horrors that occurred in Northern Ireland in 1972. Dozens of innocent civilians were killed by British paratroopers and no case been brought to trial to convict the killers. This remains one the worst massacres in Ireland’s troubled history. It was this event which sparked the intensity of young men with the ambition to join the Irish Republican Army, a terrorist organization dedicated to committing acts of violence against the British troops.
In Northern Ireland, there had been troubles between member of the Catholic and Protestant religions. British troops who had occupied the area for years were more harsh than ever to people they thought to be terrorists. Notably, in the city of Derry, roadblocks were created. Armored vehicles and fully loaded soldiers would roam the streets. The amount of military presence in this city sparked anger and protest. A peaceful protest rally was organized which would picket against the military presence.
However, during this event, nothing went as planned. The peaceful protest that was planned turned into chaos. Hundreds of angry citizens joined the crowd of protesters. They began to throw rocks and other objects at the roadblocks. The British paratroopers feared that this had become a full out riot and began targeting innocent civilians in the crowd. Citizens young and old were fired on while running away from the carnage. To this day, it is not known which soldier fired the first shot or who gave the order to commence firing.
