Bloody Sunday

Bloody Sunday

In response to Terrorist attacks on British soldiers and Irish police, and the bombings of Protestant villages and Belfast the government flooded the province with troops, including Scottish regiments and the paratroopers. In August 1971, the army entered the 'No Go' areas and dismantled the barricades. On 9th August, the government introduced a policy of interning IRA suspects without trial. hundreds of people were arrested in massive military operations in the Falls Road area of Belfast and in the Bogside in Londonderry. The Army's behavior achieved complete alienation of the catholic population with these tactics, and the final paroxysm was reached when paratroopers opened fire on rioting Catholics in Londonderry, killing 13, on 30th January 1972-Bloody Sunday. Two weeks later rioters in Dublin burned the British embassy while the police watched. The one attempt at an agreement between the British government and the IRA occurred during the period. In 1972, they arranged a ceasefire and secret talks.

The British set about dismantling the political system, increasing its numbers of troops and disbanding the B Specials. Londonderry City has officially changed the city's name to Derry. An Assembly was elected and a power-sharing executive was set up in 1974, but collapsed when the protestants staged a general strike in protest.

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