Believing themselves fired on by Irish Republican Army, soldiers of the British Paratroop regiment opened fire on unarmed civilians taking part in a civil rights demonstration in Londonderry, killing 13 and wounding 14. The atrocity did much to fuel opposition to the British army presence in Northern Ireland. In 1997 the incoming Labour government under Tony Blair acceded to Irish Republican demands for an inquiry as part of its policy of reaching a settlement of political differences in the province. The “Bloody Sunday Inquiry” which began in 1997 is expected to issue its final report in 2005.
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Citation: Editors, Litencyc. "Bloody Sunday". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 04 December 2004 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=1516, accessed 09 June 2026.]
