Bloody Sunday refers to several historical events that are widely remembered for violence against civilians, but the most well-known in recent history are:
- Bloody Sunday (1972), Derry/Londonderry, Northern Ireland: On January 30, 1972, British soldiers from the Parachute Regiment opened fire on a civil rights march in the Bogside area, killing 13 unarmed civilians and wounding many more. The incident escalated tensions during The Troubles and led to a long-running controversy over military conduct and inquiries. Official inquiries and subsequent investigations concluded that soldiers fired without legitimate cause in many cases, though later assessments have debated specific actions and responsibilities. The event remains a defining moment in Northern Ireland's history and is commemorated and studied as a case of state violence during civil rights protests.
- Bloody Sunday (1905), St. Petersburg, Russia: On January 9 (O.S. January 22), 1905, a peaceful procession led by Father Georgy Gapon was fired upon by soldiers of the Imperial Guard outside the Winter Palace, triggering widespread outrage and contributing to the 1905 Revolution in Russia. This Bloody Sunday helped catalyze mass strikes and push for political reforms, altering the course of Russian history.
- Bloody Sunday (1920), Dublin, Ireland: During the Irish War of Independence, soldiers attacked a Gaelic football crowd and others on a day later remembered as Bloody Sunday in November 1920; the day is associated with violence during the Irish struggle for independence and the subsequent political developments in the Irish Free State.
- Selma, Alabama, 1965: Often called “Bloody Sunday” in U.S. civil rights history, when police and state violence attacked marchers crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge during a voter-registration march, galvanizing national support for civil rights legislation. This event is commonly associated with the broader Selma-to-Montgomery marches and the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
If you’re asking about a specific Bloody Sunday, tell me which one you’re interested in (location and year), and I can give you a concise, detailed summary of what happened, who was involved, and the lasting impact.
