Sunday January On 30, 1972, in an incident since known as Bloody Sunday, twenty-seven people were shot by British soldiers aft

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The build up to Bloody Sunday, and why it happened.

On Saturday 5 October 1968 a civil rights march was organised, but it was stopped before it had really begun by the Royal Ulster Constabulary. The RUC broke up the march by using batons, which left many members of the march severely injured. Broadcasters around the world were filming this incident. The incidents in Derry had a big effect on many people around the world but particularly on the Catholic population of Northern Ireland. For two days after this march there was serious rioting between the Catholics and the RUC. In the following January there were many civil rights marches with increasing violence brought about by over policeing and confrontations between them and loyalist crowds. On 25 April 1969 following a bombing campaign by Loyalists extremists, 500 additional British troops were sent to Northern Ireland. A few months later on the 12th August 1969 as the Apprentice boys passed near the Bogside area a serious riot erupted. The RUC got involved to try and stop the riot by using water cannons and armoured cars. They were closely followed by a loyalist crowd. The people who lived on the Bogside forced the RUC and loyalists out of the area. Once being pushed out of the Bogside the RUC used CS gas to again enter the area. (This was to become known as the battle of the Bogside, which lasted for two days). On the 13th of August serious rioting spread across Northern Ireland from Derry to other catholic areas stretching the RUC. The rioting was between Catholics, Protestants and many more people. The majority of Catholics were forced from their homes. After this two days of rioting, the Stormant government asked the British government for permission to allow British troops to be deployed onto the streets of Northern Ireland. The permission was granted and later that afternoon they entered the centre of Derry. British troops did not enter the area of the Bogside and the Creggan because there was an understanding between the British army and the DCDA that if the RUC and the army stayed out of these areas there would be a stop to all the rioting. This near enough saw the setting up of "non-go areas" were the normal rule of law didn't function. During the day a catholic civilian was shot dead by the USC during street disturbances. The next day there were more riots in Belfast where many people were killed and families were forced out of their homes. British troops then took up duties on the streets of west Belfast. During the next few years there were many more riots and protests within Northern Ireland. On the 8th of July 1971 during a riot in Derry two catholic men were shot dead by the British Army. The army claimed that the two men were armed but the local people said that they did not have any weapons. The riots intensified following the two men's deaths. On 9th August 1971 there was the introduction of internment. In a series of raids across Northern Ireland 342 people were arrested. There was an instant increase of violent behaviour and 17 people were killed in the next 48 hours. Of these 10 Catholic civilians were shot dead by The British Army. There were more arrests in the following months. Internment was to continue until 5 December 1975. During that time 1,981 people were locked up. 1,874 were Catholic / Republican while 107 were Protestant/Loyalists. It was the unionist suggestion to introduce internment to try and come up with a solution the security position in Northern Ireland. Over the next few years there was more violence, the violence increased support for the IRA. On the 6th of September 1971 it was the beginning of an anti-internment week throughout Derry. It was organised by Social Democratic and Labour party. The week turned into riots and during the riots a 14-year-old girl was shot dead by the British army. On the 4th of November The British army moved into the Bogside area and Creggan and made their way into homes taking 17 men away from internment. The following day Derry came to a holt, many people went on strike. Rioting began again on the streets of Derry. On the 18th January 1972 Brian Faulkner the Prime-minister of Northern Ireland banned all marches and parades in Northern Ireland until the end of the year. On 22 January 1972 an anti-internment march was held in Derry. Members of the green jackets and the parachute regiment used barbed wire to close off the bench, which stopped the march. When they saw that the marchers were going around the wire they shot rubber bullets into the crowd. Many witnesses claimed that the paratroopers brutally beat a number of protesters. On the 24th January 1972Frabk Lagan the Chief superintendent of the RUC told Andrew Maclellan the commander 8 infantry brigade, that he had spoken to the civil rights association and told them that he wanted to hold a non-violent demonstration protesting against internment on 30 January 1972. He asked for the march to be allowed to take place without military interference. This was down to General ford who put Derik Wilford, commander of 1st Battalion Parachute regiment in charge of the planned arrest procedure. The next day on the 25th of January general ford put Andrew Maclellan in overall command of the operation to control the march for the 30th of January. Two days later, on the 27th two RUC officers were shot dead in an attack on their patrol car, they were shot on Creggan road in Derry. The DUP said that there was going to be a religious rally at the same place on the same date and at the same time as the civil rights march, which was planned for the 30th January 1972.
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What happened

Sunday January On 30, 1972, in an incident since known as Bloody Sunday, twenty-seven people were shot by British soldiers after a civil rights march in the Bogside area of the city of Derry, Northern Ireland. The march was organized by Derry MP Ivan Cooper to protest the internment of Irishmen in British occupied Northern Ireland. Thirteen people were shot dead, with another man later dying of his wounds. The march against internment was supposed to start at 2 oclock but the march left late at 2.50 pm. At 3.25pm the march passed the Bogside ...

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