Big news today out of Northern Ireland. I would think that most people would have heard of the Bloody Sunday massacre by now but, let me summarise briefly. Protestors convened for a civil rights march on 30 January 1972 and were diverted away from their intended route by army barricades. Thirteen unarmed protestors were shot and killed by British soldiers and one other man died four months later from injuries.
There are differing narratives of events including an IRA sniper taking aim at soldiers and very different accounts on the number of protestors from only 3,000-5,000 in the first inquiry to as many as 30,000 claimed by the organisers. What is not in dispute is that the order was given to fire upon the protestors.
This was during a period, known as the Troubles, when the British army occupied Northern Ireland in an effort to stem political violence between the mostly Catholic nationalist groups and the mostly Protestant unionist groups. There are many, many books on this topic if you want to learn more.
The 1972 inquiry into the killings concluded that soldiers’ behaviour “bordered on the reckless”. Now, however, the 12-year long Saville inquiry, to be published on Tuesday, will indicate that the killings were unlawful. This will potentially lead to soldiers being prosecuted for manslaughter or even murder.
Northern Ireland has been a tinderbox for much of the last 150 years. Violence has died down but behind the peaceful facade there lies the potential for escalation. Nationalists will never be happy until they are united as one Ireland. The two sides will always be at odds over how to govern the country in their power-sharing arrangement.
While it is hoped this report will be the final word on events of that day it has the potential to reignite passions on both sides for retribution. Relatives of Bloody Sunday victims claim they have never received justice. Others could argue that prosecuting soldiers will only open old wounds when it’s time to move forward. It should be interesting to see what the report says on Tuesday and reactions from both sides of Northern Ireland’s political spectrum.
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