13 civilians are killed as soldiers storm the Bogside

TL;DR

British soldiers shot and killed 13 civilians during rioting after a banned civil rights march in Londonderry's Bogside on January 30, 1972.[[1]](https://studenttheses.universiteitleiden.nl/access/item:3621207/view)[[2]](https://www.anphoblacht.com/contents/28249)
Soldiers from the Parachute Regiment fired into the crowd, with the army claiming they responded to snipers and nail bombs.[[3]](https://www.nytimes.com/1972/01/31/archives/british-soldiers-kill-13-as-rioting-erupts-in-ulster-deaths-come-as.html)[[4]](https://cain.ulster.ac.uk/events/bsunday/chron.htm)
The incident escalated tensions in Northern Ireland, boosting IRA support and prompting a government inquiry.[[5]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Sunday_(1972))

The story at a glance

British Paratroopers killed 13 civilians in Londonderry's Bogside after a civil rights march banned by the Northern Ireland government turned into a riot on January 30, 1972. The Parachute Regiment and marchers are central, with the army saying soldiers fired only after being shot at by snipers. This is reported the next day as shock waves spread across Ireland, amid rising violence in the Troubles.[[2]](https://www.anphoblacht.com/contents/28249)[[1]](https://studenttheses.universiteitleiden.nl/access/item:3621207/view)

Key points

A civil rights march of about 3,000-15,000 people defied a ban on parades, protesting internment without trial.[[5]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Sunday_(1972))[[6]](https://belfastchildis.com/2016/01/29/bloody-sunday-30-january-1972)
Rioting broke out near barricades; soldiers used rubber bullets, CS gas, and water cannons before live rounds.[[3]](https://www.nytimes.com/1972/01/31/archives/british-soldiers-kill-13-as-rioting-erupts-in-ulster-deaths-come-as.html)
Paratroopers from 1st Battalion fired over 100 rounds in minutes, killing 13 (aged 17-59) and wounding 14 more; one later died.[[4]](https://cain.ulster.ac.uk/events/bsunday/chron.htm)[[5]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Sunday_(1972))
Army stated four dead were IRA suspects with nail bombs; no bombs or guns found on victims per later inquiries.[[7]](https://madden-finucane.com/bloody-sunday-case-overview/massacre-at-derry)
Home Secretary Reginald Maudling told Parliament soldiers returned aimed fire against gunmen and bombers.[[4]](https://cain.ulster.ac.uk/events/bsunday/chron.htm)

Details and context

The article, paywalled in The Times archive, reports the immediate aftermath of the Bogside shootings as relayed by officials and witnesses. It notes soldiers "stormed the Bogside" amid rioting, with the army insisting they faced armed threat—two high-velocity shots first, then nail bombs—but eyewitnesses described unprovoked fire into fleeing crowds.[[2]](https://www.anphoblacht.com/contents/28249)[[1]](https://studenttheses.universiteitleiden.nl/access/item:3621207/view)

This came amid the Troubles, with civil rights protests against discrimination and internment fueling unrest since 1968; Bloody Sunday radicalized many Catholics, seen as unjustifiable by a 2010 inquiry that cleared victims of threat.[[5]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Sunday_(1972))

Rioting spread nationwide, leading Prime Minister Edward Heath to order Lord Widgery's tribunal on January 31.[[4]](https://cain.ulster.ac.uk/events/bsunday/chron.htm)

Key quotes

Army: "The shooting started with two high-velocity shots aimed at the troops manning the barriers."[[7]](https://madden-finucane.com/bloody-sunday-case-overview/massacre-at-derry)

Why it matters

The shootings marked a turning point in the Troubles, eroding Catholic trust in British forces and swelling IRA ranks. It meant heightened violence for all in Northern Ireland, with recruitment surges and reprisal attacks. Watch prosecutions like Soldier F's, though Widgery cleared paratroopers and outcomes remain contested.[[5]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Sunday_(1972))