The actions of the British government did raise concerns. The Protestants were loyal to Britain and many of their men died in supporting Britain’s war against the Germans by fighting with side by side with British men. They say the Republicans let them down by fighting against Britain.
The Republicans in Ireland saw the people who were murdered as martyrs. The British had gone to far their brutality made the republicans angry and even moderates mostly turned to the Republicans views of removing British control of Ireland. People even today remember what the martyrs died for and don’t want to give up the aim their ancestors died for.
By 1918 Sinn Fein had became increasingly popular as Catholics turned to support their aim for an independent Ireland with the use of violence. At this time Hole Rule was not good enough they wanted a total separate Ireland. This led to an Anglo Irish War, which resulted, into Anglo Irish Treaty in 1921, which split Ireland into two, a separate Catholic south though it is still under the British throne. Then a Protestant north called Ulster, which is still part of Britain. Ulster was still run by Protestants and so the Catholics were treated like second-class citizens. In January 1972 the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association (NICRA) organised a march to protest against internment (imprisonment without trial) set up by the government in August 1971. A group of protesters totalling 20,000 people when unable to enter the city of Londonderry by the British Army they went to Free Derry Corner when some young men started throwing stones at soldiers of the Elite British Regiment. The Army shot and killed 13 people and wounded a further 13 with live fire to the head and trunk. The soldiers said that they had come under sustained gun and bomb attack by the members of the IRA and only fired at people with weapons. All of the crowd were later found to be unarmed.
The event caused shock and revulsion around the world. Republicans said it was cold-blooded murder carried out by the British Army. The IRA had not fired first and the Catholics civil rights have been violated. The British army should not have used bullets against people with stones. This has been remembered to even today and the hatred of the Catholics against the British Army is still very high.
Protestants on the other hand think it was the Catholics fault for throwing stones and that they shouldn’t have started the violence. They are also likely to think the IRA did start the shooting and that the British were only protecting themselves after the Catholic attack. The Protestants support the presence of British forces in Northern Ireland even today as they see them as protectors and law enforcers for the people of Northern Ireland against the IRA and Republican rebels.
Even though these were the larger feelings of the events there are groups and people who think differently. Some Republicans think that they shouldn’t have been throwing stones and should have been cautious and remained peaceful. A few Protestants think that the British army did go to far by killing 15 people after the Easter Rising.
Both the Easter Rising and Bloody Sunday are important events in Irish history in how they affect people prejudice feelings and events today.
