Bloody Sunday

Bloody Sunday (1905) took place in St. Petersburg, Russia. A group of working-class Russians went to the czar’s winter palace to peacefully protest against harsh working conditions. They were shot down by soldiers before they could speak to the czar; many were killed and wounded.

A completely different Bloody Sunday occurred in Northern Ireland in 1972. Then the Irish held a peaceful march for freedom in the town of Derry. The British soldiers responded by shooting thirteen unarmed protesters dead, including six minors, and another died from the wounds a few months later. Five had been shot in the back. Army vehicles ran over two protesters. The British never punished those responsible and several songs (one by John Lennon, and other by U2) commemorate the tragedy. There is a Christian rock group that dedicates its name to the event, calling themselves “Bloody Sunday.”