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sábado, janeiro 30, 2021

Sunday, Bloody Sunday...

O Domingo Sangrento foi há 49 anos

O Padre Edward Daly (futuro Bispo de Derry) com a bandeira branca manchada de sangue, tentando levar Jackie Duddy, ferido de morte
      
Domingo Sangrento (em gaélico: Domhnach na Fola, Bloody Sunday, em inglês) foi um confronto entre manifestantes católicos e protestantes, e o exército inglês ocorrido na cidade de Derry, na Irlanda do Norte, no dia 30 de janeiro de 1972. O movimento teve início com um protesto de dez mil manifestantes que pretendiam, saindo do bairro de Creggan em marcha pelas ruas católicas da cidade, chegar até a Câmara Municipal. Antes disso, entretanto, os soldados ingleses partiram para ofensiva e disparam contra os manifestantes, deixando 14 ativistas católicos mortos e 26 feridos.
Das catorze vítimas mortas, seis eram menores de idade e um sétimo ferido faleceu meses depois do incidente. Todas as vítimas estavam desarmadas e cinco delas foram alvejadas pelas costas. Os manifestantes protestavam contra a política do governo norte-irlandês de prender sumariamente pessoas suspeitas de atos terroristas. O incidente, que entrou para a história da ilha, era para apoiar o Exército Republicano Irlandês, o IRA, uma organização clandestina que lutava pela separação da Irlanda do Norte da Grã-Bretanha e posterior união com a República da Irlanda. Após o "Domingo Sangrento", o IRA ganhou um número enorme de jovens voluntários, dando força ainda maior a esse movimento de guerrilha. Em memória da data, foi feita a canção "Sunday Bloody Sunday!" em 1983, pela banda irlandesa U2. Paul McCartney também tratou do incidente, na canção "Give Ireland Back To The Irish", lançada em compacto com sua então nova banda, os Wings, em fevereiro de 1972.
Duas investigações foram realizadas pelo Governo britânico. O Widgery Tribunal, realizada no rescaldo do evento, ilibou em grande parte os soldados britânicos e as autoridades da responsabilidade, mas foi criticado por muitos como um "branqueamento" do incidente, incluindo pelo antigo chefe de equipe de Tony Blair, Jonathan Powell. O Inquérito Saville, iniciado em 1998 para analisar os acontecimentos novamente (presidida por Lord Saville de Newdigate), apresentou um relatório, em 2010,  que mostrava que os soldados e autoridades do Reino Unido procederam de forma errada, levando à apresentação de desculpas às famílias das vítimas por parte do Primeiro Ministro do Reino Unido.
O Exército Republicano Irlandês (IRA) iniciara a sua campanha contra a Irlanda do Norte ser uma parte do Reino Unido havia dois anos antes do Bloody Sunday, mas a interpretação do evento impulsionaram enormemente o recrutamento e o apoio à organização.
O Bloody Sunday continua entre os mais importantes eventos dos apelidados Troubles da Irlanda do Norte, principalmente devido ao facto de ter sido levado a cabo pelo exército britânico.
    
    
Mural by Bogside Artists depicting all who were killed by the British Army on the day
   
The death
  • John (Jackie) Duddy. Shot in the chest in the car park of Rossville flats. Four witnesses stated Duddy was unarmed and running away from the paratroopers when he was killed. Three of them saw a soldier take deliberate aim at the youth as he ran. He is the uncle of the Irish boxer John Duddy.
  • Patrick Joseph Doherty. Shot from behind while attempting to crawl to safety in the forecourt of Rossville flats. Doherty was the subject of a series of photographs, taken before and after he died by French journalist Gilles Peress. Despite testimony from "Soldier F" that he had fired at a man holding and firing a pistol, Widgery acknowledged that the photographs showed Doherty was unarmed, and that forensic tests on his hands for gunshot residue proved negative.
  • Bernard McGuigan. Shot in the back of the head when he went to help Patrick Doherty. He had been waving a white handkerchief at the soldiers to indicate his peaceful intentions.
  • Hugh Pius Gilmour. Shot through his right elbow, the bullet then entering his chest as he ran from the paratroopers on Rossville Street. Widgery acknowledged that a photograph taken seconds after Gilmour was hit corroborated witness reports that he was unarmed, and that tests for gunshot residue were negative.
  • Kevin McElhinney. Shot from behind while attempting to crawl to safety at the front entrance of the Rossville Flats. Two witnesses stated McElhinney was unarmed.
  • Michael Gerald Kelly. Shot in the stomach while standing near the rubble barricade in front of Rossville Flats. Widgery accepted that Kelly was unarmed.
  • John Pius Young. Shot in the head while standing at the rubble barricade. Two witnesses stated Young was unarmed.
  • William Noel Nash. Shot in the chest near the barricade. Witnesses stated Nash was unarmed and going to the aid of another when killed.
  • Michael M. McDaid. Shot in the face at the barricade as he was walking away from the paratroopers. The trajectory of the bullet indicated he could have been killed by soldiers positioned on the Derry Walls.
  • James Joseph Wray. Wounded then shot again at close range while lying on the ground. Witnesses who were not called to the Widgery Tribunal stated that Wray was calling out that he could not move his legs before he was shot the second time.
  • Gerald Donaghey. Shot in the stomach while attempting to run to safety between Glenfada Park and Abbey Park. Donaghey was brought to a nearby house by bystanders where he was examined by a doctor. His pockets were turned out in an effort to identify him. A later police photograph of Donaghey's corpse showed nail bombs in his pockets. Neither those who searched his pockets in the house nor the British army medical officer (Soldier 138) who pronounced him dead shortly afterwards say they saw any bombs. Donaghey had been a member of Fianna Éireann, an IRA-linked Republican youth movement. Paddy Ward, a police informer who gave evidence at the Saville Inquiry, claimed that he had given two nail bombs to Donaghey several hours before he was shot dead.
  • Gerard (James) McKinney. Shot just after Gerald Donaghey. Witnesses stated that McKinney had been running behind Donaghey, and he stopped and held up his arms, shouting "Don't shoot! Don't shoot!", when he saw Donaghey fall. He was then shot in the chest.
  • William Anthony McKinney. Shot from behind as he attempted to aid Gerald McKinney (no relation). He had left cover to try to help Gerald.
  • John Johnston. Shot in the leg and left shoulder on William Street 15 minutes before the rest of the shooting started. Johnston was not on the march, but on his way to visit a friend in Glenfada Park. He died 4½ months later; his death has been attributed to the injuries he received on the day. He was the only one not to die immediately or soon after being shot.
      

terça-feira, julho 28, 2020

O Exército Republicano Irlandês renunciou à luta armada há quinze anos

  
  
O Exército Republicano Irlandês, mais conhecido por sua sigla em inglês, IRA, é o nome dado a diversos grupos paramilitares irlandeses que, nos séculos XX e XXI, lutaram contra a influência Britânica na ilha da Irlanda. Recorria a métodos de guerra assimétrica, sendo frequentemente acusados de terrorismo, notório principalmente por ataques à bomba e emboscadas com armas de fogo, e tinha como alvos tradicionais protestantes, políticos unionistas e representantes do governo britânico. Na sua fundação, o IRA tinha ligações com outros grupos nacionalistas irlandeses e um braço político do partido Sinn Fein ("Nós Próprios", em irlandês). Sua ideologia variou ao longo do tempo, abrangendo republicanismo, nacionalismo, irredentismo, unionismo irlandês e separatismo com relação a Grã-Bretanha, incluindo também sectarismo e defesa da comunidade católica da Irlanda contra a minoria protestante (que eram vistos como lealistas em relação a Inglaterra).
O IRA não era um grupo sectário e afirmava ser aberto a todos os irlandeses, mas a esmagadora maioria dos seus membros eram católicos com quase nenhum protestante servindo como "membro ativo" do grupo. O historiador Peter Hart escreveu, nos seus estudos sobre os membros do IRA, que apenas três protestantes serviram como "ativos" no movimento entre 1919 e 1921. Dos 917 membros do IRA condenados pelos britânicos durante a Guerra de Independência da Irlanda, apenas um era protestante. Embora a maioria esmagadora dos membros do IRA fossem católicos, havia de facto outras minorias (que eles chamavam de "pagãos"), como ateus e católicos não praticantes. A maioria dos soldados do IRA eram irlandeses natos, mas havia também pessoas nascidas em outras regiões do Reino Unido.
Na Irlanda do Norte, a principal função do IRA, durante os The Troubles, era defender a comunidade católica da violência sectária. Por esta razão, Peadar O'Donnell, um líder de esquerda do IRA que se opunha ao nacionalismo católico predominante dentro da organização, disse depreciativamente que "nós não temos um batalhão do IRA em Belfast, nós temos um batalhão de católicos armados". A partir de 1969, a violência sectária na Irlanda do Norte foi acentuando, com o IRA perpetrando ataques contra alvos protestantes e, principalmente, defendendo a minoria católica por lá. Esta minoria, que costumava ser maioria em todo o território irlandês, passou a encarar o catolicismo como símbolo de resistência contra a agressão britânica e como elemento comum para a reunificação da Irlanda.
Em 28 de julho de 2005 o IRA anuncia o fim da "luta armada" e a entrega de armas. O processo de entrega de armas terminou em 26 de setembro de 2005. Todo o processo de desmantelamento do armamento foi orientado pelo chefe da Comissão Internacional de Desarmamento, o general canadiano John de Chastelain. Porém, grupos de dissidentes que não aceitavam a resolução pacífica da questão política continuam tentando realizar atentados terroristas, sem sucesso.

sexta-feira, junho 26, 2020

A jornalista Veronica Guerin foi assassinada há 24 anos

   
Veronica Guerin (Artane, 5 de julho de 1958 - Dublin, 26 de junho de 1996) foi uma jornalista irlandesa.
Começou tardiamente na profissão, depois dos 30 anos, e gostava do jornalismo de investigação. Exemplo de determinação e coragem, a sua vontade incessante por justiça fez com que pagasse com a vida a investigação a fundo sobre a máfia e o tráfico de drogas em Dublin, capital da Irlanda, durante a década de 1990. Denunciou também a ligação que alguns dos mais importantes gângsteres tinham com o IRA. Sofreu um atentado e chegou a ser espancada por um dos maiores mafiosos da cidade.
Depois do seu assassinato, a população da Irlanda revoltou-se e foi para as ruas protestar, e os barões do tráfico tiveram os seus bens confiscados e foram presos. Um ano depois do acontecido, os crimes caíram em mais de 50% na Irlanda.
Veronica Guerin é considerada uma heroína na Irlanda.
Dois filmes, baseados na história de Veronica Guerin, foram realizados:
A banda de metal progressivo Savatage incluiu uma canção baseada na história da jornalista no álbum The Wake of Magellan, de 1998.
O músico irlandês Christy Moore também escreveu uma canção em sua homenagem, chamada Veronica.
   

quinta-feira, janeiro 30, 2020

O Domingo Sangrento foi há 48 anos

O Padre Edward Daly (futuro Bispo de Derry) com a bandeira branca manchada de sangue, tentando levar Jackie Duddy, ferido de morte
      
Domingo Sangrento (em gaélico: Domhnach na Fola, Bloody Sunday, em inglês) foi um confronto entre manifestantes católicos e protestantes, e o exército inglês ocorrido na cidade de Derry, na Irlanda do Norte, no dia 30 de janeiro de 1972. O movimento teve início com um protesto de dez mil manifestantes que pretendiam, saindo do bairro de Creggan em marcha pelas ruas católicas da cidade, chegar até a Câmara Municipal. Antes disso, entretanto, os soldados ingleses partiram para ofensiva e disparam contra os manifestantes, deixando 14 ativistas católicos mortos e 26 feridos.
Das catorze vítimas mortas, seis eram menores de idade e um sétimo ferido faleceu meses depois do incidente. Todas as vítimas estavam desarmadas e cinco delas foram alvejadas pelas costas. Os manifestantes protestavam contra a política do governo norte-irlandês de prender sumariamente pessoas suspeitas de atos terroristas. O incidente, que entrou para a história da ilha, era para apoiar o Exército Republicano Irlandês, o IRA, uma organização clandestina que lutava pela separação da Irlanda do Norte da Grã-Bretanha e posterior união com a República da Irlanda. Após o "Domingo Sangrento", o IRA ganhou um número enorme de jovens voluntários, dando força ainda maior a esse movimento de guerrilha. Em memória da data, foi feita a canção "Sunday Bloody Sunday!" em 1983, pela banda irlandesa U2. Paul McCartney também tratou do incidente, na canção "Give Ireland Back To The Irish", lançada em compacto com sua então nova banda, os Wings, em fevereiro de 1972.
Duas investigações foram realizadas pelo Governo britânico. O Widgery Tribunal, realizada no rescaldo do evento, ilibou em grande parte os soldados britânicos e as autoridades da responsabilidade, mas foi criticado por muitos como um "branqueamento" do incidente, incluindo pelo antigo chefe de equipe de Tony Blair, Jonathan Powell. O Inquérito Saville, iniciado em 1998 para analisar os acontecimentos novamente (presidida por Lord Saville de Newdigate), apresentou um relatório, em 2010,  que mostrava que os soldados e autoridades do Reino Unido procederam de forma errada, levando à apresentação de desculpas às famílias das vítimas por parte do Primeiro Ministro do Reino Unido.
O Exército Republicano Irlandês (IRA) iniciara a sua campanha contra a Irlanda do Norte ser uma parte do Reino Unido havia dois anos antes do Bloody Sunday, mas a interpretação do evento impulsionaram enormemente o recrutamento e o apoio à organização.
O Bloody Sunday continua entre os mais importantes eventos dos apelidados Troubles da Irlanda do Norte, principalmente devido ao facto de ter sido levado a cabo pelo exército britânico.
    
    
Mural by Bogside Artists depicting all who were killed by the British Army on the day
   
The death
  • John (Jackie) Duddy. Shot in the chest in the car park of Rossville flats. Four witnesses stated Duddy was unarmed and running away from the paratroopers when he was killed. Three of them saw a soldier take deliberate aim at the youth as he ran. He is the uncle of the Irish boxer John Duddy.
  • Patrick Joseph Doherty. Shot from behind while attempting to crawl to safety in the forecourt of Rossville flats. Doherty was the subject of a series of photographs, taken before and after he died by French journalist Gilles Peress. Despite testimony from "Soldier F" that he had fired at a man holding and firing a pistol, Widgery acknowledged that the photographs showed Doherty was unarmed, and that forensic tests on his hands for gunshot residue proved negative.
  • Bernard McGuigan. Shot in the back of the head when he went to help Patrick Doherty. He had been waving a white handkerchief at the soldiers to indicate his peaceful intentions.
  • Hugh Pius Gilmour. Shot through his right elbow, the bullet then entering his chest as he ran from the paratroopers on Rossville Street. Widgery acknowledged that a photograph taken seconds after Gilmour was hit corroborated witness reports that he was unarmed, and that tests for gunshot residue were negative.
  • Kevin McElhinney. Shot from behind while attempting to crawl to safety at the front entrance of the Rossville Flats. Two witnesses stated McElhinney was unarmed.
  • Michael Gerald Kelly. Shot in the stomach while standing near the rubble barricade in front of Rossville Flats. Widgery accepted that Kelly was unarmed.
  • John Pius Young. Shot in the head while standing at the rubble barricade. Two witnesses stated Young was unarmed.
  • William Noel Nash. Shot in the chest near the barricade. Witnesses stated Nash was unarmed and going to the aid of another when killed.
  • Michael M. McDaid. Shot in the face at the barricade as he was walking away from the paratroopers. The trajectory of the bullet indicated he could have been killed by soldiers positioned on the Derry Walls.
  • James Joseph Wray. Wounded then shot again at close range while lying on the ground. Witnesses who were not called to the Widgery Tribunal stated that Wray was calling out that he could not move his legs before he was shot the second time.
  • Gerald Donaghey. Shot in the stomach while attempting to run to safety between Glenfada Park and Abbey Park. Donaghey was brought to a nearby house by bystanders where he was examined by a doctor. His pockets were turned out in an effort to identify him. A later police photograph of Donaghey's corpse showed nail bombs in his pockets. Neither those who searched his pockets in the house nor the British army medical officer (Soldier 138) who pronounced him dead shortly afterwards say they saw any bombs. Donaghey had been a member of Fianna Éireann, an IRA-linked Republican youth movement. Paddy Ward, a police informer who gave evidence at the Saville Inquiry, claimed that he had given two nail bombs to Donaghey several hours before he was shot dead.
  • Gerard (James) McKinney. Shot just after Gerald Donaghey. Witnesses stated that McKinney had been running behind Donaghey, and he stopped and held up his arms, shouting "Don't shoot! Don't shoot!", when he saw Donaghey fall. He was then shot in the chest.
  • William Anthony McKinney. Shot from behind as he attempted to aid Gerald McKinney (no relation). He had left cover to try to help Gerald.
  • John Johnston. Shot in the leg and left shoulder on William Street 15 minutes before the rest of the shooting started. Johnston was not on the march, but on his way to visit a friend in Glenfada Park. He died 4½ months later; his death has been attributed to the injuries he received on the day. He was the only one not to die immediately or soon after being shot.
   
in Wikipédia
        

quarta-feira, junho 26, 2019

Veronica Guerin foi assassinada há 23 anos

Veronica Guerin (Artane, 5 de julho de 1958 - Dublin, 26 de junho de 1996) foi uma jornalista irlandesa.
Começou tardiamente na profissão, depois dos 30 anos, e gostava do jornalismo de investigação. Exemplo de determinação e coragem, a sua vontade incessante por justiça fez com que pagasse com a vida a investigação a fundo sobre a máfia e o tráfico de drogas em Dublin, capital da Irlanda, durante a década de 90. Denunciou também a ligação que alguns dos mais importantes gângsteres tinham com o IRA. Sofreu um atentado e chegou a ser espancada por um dos maiores mafiosos da cidade.
Depois do seu assassinato, a população da Irlanda revoltou-se e foi para as ruas protestar, e os barões do tráfico tiveram os seus bens confiscados e foram presos. Um ano depois do acontecido, os crimes caíram em mais de 50% na Irlanda.
Veronica Guerin é considerada uma heroína na Irlanda.
Dois filmes, baseados na história de Veronica Guerin, foram realizados:
A banda de metal progressivo Savatage incluiu uma canção baseada na história da jornalista no álbum The Wake of Magellan, de 1998.
O músico irlandês Christy Moore também escreveu uma canção em sua homenagem, chamada Veronica.
 

quarta-feira, janeiro 30, 2019

O Domingo Sangrento foi há 47 anos

O Padre Edward Daly (futuro Bispo de Derry) com a bandeira branca manchada de sangue, tentando levar Jackie Duddy, ferido de morte
  
Domingo Sangrento (em gaélico: Domhnach na Fola, Bloody Sunday, em inglês) foi um confronto entre manifestantes católicos e protestantes, e o exército inglês ocorrido na cidade de Derry, na Irlanda do Norte, no dia 30 de janeiro de 1972. O movimento teve início com um protesto de dez mil manifestantes que pretendiam, saindo do bairro de Creggan em marcha pelas ruas católicas da cidade, chegar até a Câmara Municipal. Antes disso, entretanto, os soldados ingleses partiram para ofensiva e disparam contra os manifestantes, deixando 14 ativistas católicos mortos e 26 feridos.
Das catorze vítimas mortas, seis eram menores de idade e um sétimo ferido faleceu meses depois do incidente. Todas as vítimas estavam desarmadas e cinco delas foram alvejadas pelas costas. Os manifestantes protestavam contra a política do governo norte-irlandês de prender sumariamente pessoas suspeitas de atos terroristas. O incidente, que entrou para a história da ilha, era para apoiar o Exército Republicano Irlandês, o IRA, uma organização clandestina que lutava pela separação da Irlanda do Norte da Grã-Bretanha e posterior união com a República da Irlanda. Após o "Domingo Sangrento", o IRA ganhou um número enorme de jovens voluntários, dando força ainda maior a esse movimento de guerrilha. Em memória da data, foi feita a canção "Sunday Bloody Sunday!" em 1983, pela banda irlandesa U2. Paul McCartney também tratou do incidente, na canção "Give Ireland Back To The Irish", lançada em compacto com sua então nova banda, os Wings, em fevereiro de 1972.
Duas investigações foram realizadas pelo Governo britânico. O Widgery Tribunal, realizada no rescaldo do evento, ilibou em grande parte os soldados britânicos e as autoridades da responsabilidade, mas foi criticado por muitos como um "branqueamento" do incidente, incluindo pelo antigo chefe de equipe de Tony Blair, Jonathan Powell. O Inquérito Saville, iniciado em 1998 para analisar os acontecimentos novamente (presidida por Lord Saville de Newdigate), apresentou um relatório, em 2010,  que mostrava que os soldados e autoridades do Reino Unido procederam de forma errada, levando à apresentação de desculpas às famílias das vítimas por parte do Primeiro Ministro do Reino Unido.
O Exército Republicano Irlandês (IRA) iniciara a sua campanha contra a Irlanda do Norte ser uma parte do Reino Unido havia dois anos antes do Bloody Sunday, mas a interpretação do evento impulsionaram enormemente o recrutamento e o apoio à organização.
O Bloody Sunday continua entre os mais importantes eventos dos apelidados Troubles da Irlanda do Norte, principalmente devido ao facto de ter sido levado a cabo pelo exército britânico.
  
  
Mural by Bogside Artists depicting all who were killed by the British Army on the day
The death
  • John (Jackie) Duddy. Shot in the chest in the car park of Rossville flats. Four witnesses stated Duddy was unarmed and running away from the paratroopers when he was killed. Three of them saw a soldier take deliberate aim at the youth as he ran. He is the uncle of the Irish boxer John Duddy.
  • Patrick Joseph Doherty. Shot from behind while attempting to crawl to safety in the forecourt of Rossville flats. Doherty was the subject of a series of photographs, taken before and after he died by French journalist Gilles Peress. Despite testimony from "Soldier F" that he had fired at a man holding and firing a pistol, Widgery acknowledged that the photographs showed Doherty was unarmed, and that forensic tests on his hands for gunshot residue proved negative.
  • Bernard McGuigan. Shot in the back of the head when he went to help Patrick Doherty. He had been waving a white handkerchief at the soldiers to indicate his peaceful intentions.
  • Hugh Pius Gilmour. Shot through his right elbow, the bullet then entering his chest as he ran from the paratroopers on Rossville Street. Widgery acknowledged that a photograph taken seconds after Gilmour was hit corroborated witness reports that he was unarmed, and that tests for gunshot residue were negative.
  • Kevin McElhinney. Shot from behind while attempting to crawl to safety at the front entrance of the Rossville Flats. Two witnesses stated McElhinney was unarmed.
  • Michael Gerald Kelly. Shot in the stomach while standing near the rubble barricade in front of Rossville Flats. Widgery accepted that Kelly was unarmed.
  • John Pius Young. Shot in the head while standing at the rubble barricade. Two witnesses stated Young was unarmed.
  • William Noel Nash. Shot in the chest near the barricade. Witnesses stated Nash was unarmed and going to the aid of another when killed.
  • Michael M. McDaid. Shot in the face at the barricade as he was walking away from the paratroopers. The trajectory of the bullet indicated he could have been killed by soldiers positioned on the Derry Walls.
  • James Joseph Wray. Wounded then shot again at close range while lying on the ground. Witnesses who were not called to the Widgery Tribunal stated that Wray was calling out that he could not move his legs before he was shot the second time.
  • Gerald Donaghey. Shot in the stomach while attempting to run to safety between Glenfada Park and Abbey Park. Donaghey was brought to a nearby house by bystanders where he was examined by a doctor. His pockets were turned out in an effort to identify him. A later police photograph of Donaghey's corpse showed nail bombs in his pockets. Neither those who searched his pockets in the house nor the British army medical officer (Soldier 138) who pronounced him dead shortly afterwards say they saw any bombs. Donaghey had been a member of Fianna Éireann, an IRA-linked Republican youth movement. Paddy Ward, a police informer who gave evidence at the Saville Inquiry, claimed that he had given two nail bombs to Donaghey several hours before he was shot dead.
  • Gerard (James) McKinney. Shot just after Gerald Donaghey. Witnesses stated that McKinney had been running behind Donaghey, and he stopped and held up his arms, shouting "Don't shoot! Don't shoot!", when he saw Donaghey fall. He was then shot in the chest.
  • William Anthony McKinney. Shot from behind as he attempted to aid Gerald McKinney (no relation). He had left cover to try to help Gerald.
  • John Johnston. Shot in the leg and left shoulder on William Street 15 minutes before the rest of the shooting started. Johnston was not on the march, but on his way to visit a friend in Glenfada Park. He died 4½ months later; his death has been attributed to the injuries he received on the day. He was the only one not to die immediately or soon after being shot.
 

terça-feira, agosto 22, 2017

Michael Collins morreu há 95 anos

Michael John "Mick" Collins (em irlandês: Mícheál Seán Ó Coileáin, Cloich na Coillte, 16 de outubro de 1890Béal na mBláth, 22 de agosto de 1922) foi um líder revolucionário irlandês, que agiu como Ministro das Finanças da República Irlandesa, Director dos Serviços Secretos do Exército Republicano Irlandês (IRA) e membro da delegação irlandesa que negociou o Tratado anglo-irlandês, tendo sido também Presidente do Governo Provisório da Irlanda do Sul e Comandante-Chefe do Exército Nacional. Foi uma das figuras centrais da luta irlandesa por independência no começo do século XX.
Foi assassinado no dia 22 de agosto de 1922, durante a Guerra Civil Irlandesa. Michael Collins é venerado por muitos dos partidos políticos irlandeses, mas são os membros e partidários do Fine Gael os que mantêm um particular respeito pela sua memória.

segunda-feira, janeiro 30, 2017

O Domingo Sangrento, em Derry, foi há 45 anos

O Domingo Sangrento (em gaélico: Domhnach na Fola, Bloody Sunday, em inglês) foi um confronto entre manifestantes católicos e protestantes, e o exército inglês ocorrido em Derry, Irlanda do Norte, no dia 30 de janeiro de 1972. O movimento teve início com uma manifestação de dez mil pessoas que pretendiam, saindo do bairro de Creggan em marcha pelas ruas católicas da cidade, chegar até à Câmara. Antes disso, entretanto, os soldados ingleses disparam contra os manifestantes, deixando 14 ativistas católicos mortos e 26 feridos.
Das catorze vítimas mortas, seis eram menores de idade e um ferido faleceu meses depois do incidente. Todas as vítimas estavam desarmadas e cinco delas foram alvejadas pelas costas. Os manifestantes protestavam contra a política do governo norte-irlandês de prender sumariamente pessoas suspeitas de atos terroristas. O incidente, que entrou para a história da ilha, era para apoiar o Exército Republicano Irlandês, o IRA, uma organização clandestina que lutava pela separação da Irlanda do Norte da Grã-Bretanha e posterior união com a República da Irlanda. Após o "Domingo Sangrento", o IRA ganhou um número enorme de jovens voluntários, dando força ainda maior a esse grupo guerrilheiro. Em memória daquele dia foi feita a canção "Sunday Bloody Sunday!" em 1983, pela banda irlandesa U2. Paul McCartney também tratou do incidente, na canção "Give Ireland Back To The Irish", lançada em compacto com sua então nova banda, osWings, em fevereiro de 1972.
Duas investigações foram realizadas pelo Governo britânico. O Widgery Tribunal, realizada no rescaldo do evento, ilibou em grande parte os soldados britânicos e as autoridades da responsabilidade, mas foi criticado por muitos como um "branqueamento" do incidente, incluindo pelo antigo chefe de equipe de Tony Blair, Jonathan Powell. O Inquérito Saville, iniciado em 1998 para analisar os acontecimentos novamente (presidida por Lord Saville de Newdigate), apresentou um relatório em 2010 que mostrava que os soldados e autoridades do Reino Unido procederam de forma errada, levando à apresentação de desculpas às famílias das vítimas por parte do Primeiro Ministro do Reino Unido.
O Exército Republicano Irlandês (IRA) iniciara a sua campanha contra a Irlanda do Norte a ser uma parte do Reino Unido dois anos antes do Bloody Sunday.
O Bloody Sunday continua entre os mais importantes eventos dos Troubles da Irlanda do Norte, principalmente devido ao facto de ter sido levado a cabo pelo exército.

in Wikipédia

O Padre Edward Daly (e futuro Bispo Católico de Derry) com uma bandeira branca, manchada de sangue, tentando levar Jackie Duddy, ferido de morte, para lugar seguro

The death
  • John (Jackie) Duddy. Shot in the chest in the car park of Rossville flats. Four witnesses stated Duddy was unarmed and running away from the paratroopers when he was killed. Three of them saw a soldier take deliberate aim at the youth as he ran. He is the uncle of the Irish boxer John Duddy.
  • Patrick Joseph Doherty. Shot from behind while attempting to crawl to safety in the forecourt of Rossville flats. Doherty was the subject of a series of photographs, taken before and after he died by French journalist Gilles Peress. Despite testimony from "Soldier F" that he had fired at a man holding and firing a pistol, Widgery acknowledged that the photographs showed Doherty was unarmed, and that forensic tests on his hands for gunshot residue proved negative.
  • Bernard McGuigan. Shot in the back of the head when he went to help Patrick Doherty. He had been waving a white handkerchief at the soldiers to indicate his peaceful intentions.
  • Hugh Pius Gilmour. Shot through his right elbow, the bullet then entering his chest as he ran from the paratroopers on Rossville Street. Widgery acknowledged that a photograph taken seconds after Gilmour was hit corroborated witness reports that he was unarmed, and that tests for gunshot residue were negative.
  • Kevin McElhinney. Shot from behind while attempting to crawl to safety at the front entrance of the Rossville Flats. Two witnesses stated McElhinney was unarmed.
  • Michael Gerald Kelly. Shot in the stomach while standing near the rubble barricade in front of Rossville Flats. Widgery accepted that Kelly was unarmed.
  • John Pius Young. Shot in the head while standing at the rubble barricade. Two witnesses stated Young was unarmed.
  • William Noel Nash. Shot in the chest near the barricade. Witnesses stated Nash was unarmed and going to the aid of another when killed.
  • Michael M. McDaid. Shot in the face at the barricade as he was walking away from the paratroopers. The trajectory of the bullet indicated he could have been killed by soldiers positioned on the Derry Walls.
  • James Joseph Wray. Wounded then shot again at close range while lying on the ground. Witnesses who were not called to the Widgery Tribunal stated that Wray was calling out that he could not move his legs before he was shot the second time.
  • Gerald Donaghey. Shot in the stomach while attempting to run to safety between Glenfada Park and Abbey Park. Donaghey was brought to a nearby house by bystanders where he was examined by a doctor. His pockets were turned out in an effort to identify him. A later police photograph of Donaghey's corpse showed nail bombs in his pockets. Neither those who searched his pockets in the house nor the British army medical officer (Soldier 138) who pronounced him dead shortly afterwards say they saw any bombs. Donaghey had been a member of Fianna Éireann, an IRA-linked Republican youth movement. Paddy Ward, a police informer who gave evidence at the Saville Inquiry, claimed that he had given two nail bombs to Donaghey several hours before he was shot dead.
  • Gerard (James) McKinney. Shot just after Gerald Donaghey. Witnesses stated that McKinney had been running behind Donaghey, and he stopped and held up his arms, shouting "Don't shoot! Don't shoot!", when he saw Donaghey fall. He was then shot in the chest.
  • William Anthony McKinney. Shot from behind as he attempted to aid Gerald McKinney (no relation). He had left cover to try to help Gerald.
  • John Johnston. Shot in the leg and left shoulder on William Street 15 minutes before the rest of the shooting started. Johnston was not on the march, but on his way to visit a friend in Glenfada Park. He died 4½ months later; his death has been attributed to the injuries he received on the day. He was the only one not to die immediately or soon after being shot.
in Wikipédia

sexta-feira, janeiro 30, 2015

O Domingo Sangrento, em Derry, foi há 43 anos

Domingo Sangrento (em gaélico: Domhnach na Fola, Bloody Sunday, em inglês) foi um confronto entre manifestantes católicos e protestantes, e o exército inglês ocorrido em Derry, Irlanda do Norte, no dia 30 de janeiro de 1972. O movimento teve início com uma manifestação de dez mil pessoas que pretendiam, saindo do bairro de Creggan em marcha pelas ruas católicas da cidade, chegar até a Câmara. Antes disso, entretanto, os soldados ingleses disparam contra os manifestantes, deixando 14 ativistas católicos mortos e 26 feridos.
Das quatorze vítimas mortas, seis eram menores de idade e um sétimo ferido faleceu meses depois do incidente. Todas as vítimas estavam desarmadas e cinco delas foram alvejadas pelas costas. Os manifestantes protestavam contra a política do governo norte-irlandês de prender sumariamente pessoas suspeitas de atos terroristas. O incidente, que entrou para a história da ilha, era para apoiar o Exército Republicano Irlandês, o IRA, uma organização clandestina que lutava pela separação da Irlanda do Norte da Grã-Bretanha e posterior união com a República da Irlanda. Após o "Domingo Sangrento", o IRA ganhou um número enorme de jovens voluntários, dando força ainda maior a esse grupo guerrilheiro. Em memória daquele dia, foi feita a canção "Sunday Bloody Sunday!" em 1983, pela banda irlandesa U2Paul McCartney também tratou do incidente, na canção "Give Ireland Back To The Irish", lançada em compacto com sua então nova banda, osWings, em fevereiro de 1972.
Duas investigações foram realizadas pelo Governo britânico. O Widgery Tribunal, realizada no rescaldo do evento, ilibou em grande parte os soldados britânicos e as autoridades da responsabilidade, mas foi criticado por muitos como um "branqueamento" do incidente, incluindo pelo antigo chefe de equipe de Tony Blair, Jonathan Powell. O Inquérito Saville, iniciado em 1998 para analisar os acontecimentos novamente (presidida por Lord Saville de Newdigate), apresentou um relatório em 2010 que mostrava que os soldados e autoridades do Reino Unido procederam de forma errada, levando à apresentação de desculpas às famílias das vítimas por parte do Primeiro Ministro do Reino Unido.
O Exército Republicano Irlandês (IRA) iniciara a sua campanha contra a Irlanda do Norte a ser uma parte do Reino Unido havia dois anos antes ao Bloody Sunday, mas percepções do dia impulsionaram o estatuto de recrutamento e na organização enormemente.
O Bloody Sunday continua entre os mais importantes eventos dos Troubles da Irlanda do Norte, principalmente devido ao facto de ter sido levado a cabo pelo exército.


quinta-feira, junho 26, 2014

A jornalista Veronica Guerin foi assassinada há 18 anos

Veronica Guerin (Artane, 5 de julho de 1958 - Dublin, 26 de junho de 1996) foi uma jornalista irlandesa.
Começou tardiamente na profissão, depois dos 30 anos, e gostava do jornalismo de investigação. Exemplo de determinação e coragem, a sua vontade incessante por justiça fez com que pagasse com a vida a investigação a fundo sobre a máfia e o tráfico de drogas em Dublin, capital da Irlanda, durante a década de 1990. Denunciou também a ligação que alguns dos mais importantes gângsteres tinham com o IRA. Sofreu um atentado e chegou a ser espancada por um dos maiores mafiosos da cidade.
Depois do seu assassinato, a população da Irlanda revoltou-se e foi para as ruas protestar, e os barões do tráfico tiveram os seus bens confiscados e foram presos. Um ano depois do acontecido, os crimes caíram em mais de 50% na Irlanda.
Veronica Guerin é considerada uma heroína na Irlanda.

Dois filmes, baseados na história de Veronica Guerin, foram realizados:
A banda de metal progressivo Savatage incluiu uma canção baseada na história da jornalista no álbum The Wake of Magellan, de 1998.
O músico irlandês Christy Moore também escreveu uma canção em sua homenagem, chamada Veronica.

quinta-feira, janeiro 30, 2014

Há 42 anos um Domingo Sangrento abalou uma ilha inteira...

O Padre Edward Daly (e futuro Bispo Católico de Derry) com uma bandeira branca, manchada de sangue, tentando levar Jackie Duddy, ferido de morte, para lugar seguro

Domingo Sangrento (em gaélico: Domhnach na Fola, Bloody Sunday, em inglês) foi um confronto entre manifestantes católicos e protestantes, e o exército inglês ocorrido na cidade de Derry, na Irlanda do Norte, no dia 30 de janeiro de 1972. O movimento teve início com um protesto de dez mil manifestantes que pretendiam, saindo do bairro de Creggan em marcha pelas ruas católicas da cidade, chegar até a Câmara Municipal. Antes disso, entretanto, os soldados ingleses partiram para ofensiva e disparam contra os manifestantes, deixando 14 ativistas católicos mortos e 26 feridos.
Das catorze vítimas mortas, seis eram menores de idade e um sétimo ferido faleceu meses depois do incidente. Todas as vítimas estavam desarmadas e cinco delas foram alvejadas pelas costas. Os manifestantes protestavam contra a política do governo norte-irlandês de prender sumariamente pessoas suspeitas de atos terroristas. O incidente, que entrou para a história da ilha, era para apoiar o Exército Republicano Irlandês, o IRA, uma organização clandestina que lutava pela separação da Irlanda do Norte da Grã-Bretanha e posterior união com a República da Irlanda. Após o "Domingo Sangrento", o IRA ganhou um número enorme de jovens voluntários, dando força ainda maior a esse movimento de guerrilha. Em memória da data, foi feita a canção "Sunday Bloody Sunday!" em 1983, pela banda irlandesa U2. Paul McCartney também tratou do incidente, na canção "Give Ireland Back To The Irish", lançada em compacto com sua então nova banda, os Wings, em fevereiro de 1972.
Duas investigações foram realizadas pelo Governo britânico. O Widgery Tribunal, realizada no rescaldo do evento, ilibou em grande parte os soldados britânicos e as autoridades da responsabilidade, mas foi criticado por muitos como um "branqueamento" do incidente, incluindo pelo antigo chefe de equipe de Tony Blair, Jonathan Powell. O Inquérito Saville, iniciado em 1998 para analisar os acontecimentos novamente (presidida por Lord Saville de Newdigate), apresentou um relatório, em 2010,  que mostrava que os soldados e autoridades do Reino Unido procederam de forma errada, levando à apresentação de desculpas às famílias das vítimas por parte do Primeiro Ministro do Reino Unido.
O Exército Republicano Irlandês (IRA) iniciara a sua campanha contra a Irlanda do Norte ser uma parte do Reino Unido havia dois anos antes do Bloody Sunday, mas a interpretação do evento impulsionaram enormemente o recrutamento e o apoio à organização.
O Bloody Sunday continua entre os mais importantes eventos dos apelidados Troubles da Irlanda do Norte, principalmente devido ao facto de ter sido levado a cabo pelo exército britânico.


Mural by Bogside Artists depicting all who were killed by the British Army on the day

The death
  • John (Jackie) Duddy. Shot in the chest in the car park of Rossville flats. Four witnesses stated Duddy was unarmed and running away from the paratroopers when he was killed. Three of them saw a soldier take deliberate aim at the youth as he ran. He is the uncle of the Irish boxer John Duddy.
  • Patrick Joseph Doherty. Shot from behind while attempting to crawl to safety in the forecourt of Rossville flats. Doherty was the subject of a series of photographs, taken before and after he died by French journalist Gilles Peress. Despite testimony from "Soldier F" that he had fired at a man holding and firing a pistol, Widgery acknowledged that the photographs showed Doherty was unarmed, and that forensic tests on his hands for gunshot residue proved negative.
  • Bernard McGuigan. Shot in the back of the head when he went to help Patrick Doherty. He had been waving a white handkerchief at the soldiers to indicate his peaceful intentions.
  • Hugh Pius Gilmour. Shot through his right elbow, the bullet then entering his chest as he ran from the paratroopers on Rossville Street. Widgery acknowledged that a photograph taken seconds after Gilmour was hit corroborated witness reports that he was unarmed, and that tests for gunshot residue were negative.
  • Kevin McElhinney. Shot from behind while attempting to crawl to safety at the front entrance of the Rossville Flats. Two witnesses stated McElhinney was unarmed.
  • Michael Gerald Kelly. Shot in the stomach while standing near the rubble barricade in front of Rossville Flats. Widgery accepted that Kelly was unarmed.
  • John Pius Young. Shot in the head while standing at the rubble barricade. Two witnesses stated Young was unarmed.
  • William Noel Nash. Shot in the chest near the barricade. Witnesses stated Nash was unarmed and going to the aid of another when killed.
  • Michael M. McDaid. Shot in the face at the barricade as he was walking away from the paratroopers. The trajectory of the bullet indicated he could have been killed by soldiers positioned on the Derry Walls.
  • James Joseph Wray. Wounded then shot again at close range while lying on the ground. Witnesses who were not called to the Widgery Tribunal stated that Wray was calling out that he could not move his legs before he was shot the second time.
  • Gerald Donaghey. Shot in the stomach while attempting to run to safety between Glenfada Park and Abbey Park. Donaghey was brought to a nearby house by bystanders where he was examined by a doctor. His pockets were turned out in an effort to identify him. A later police photograph of Donaghey's corpse showed nail bombs in his pockets. Neither those who searched his pockets in the house nor the British army medical officer (Soldier 138) who pronounced him dead shortly afterwards say they saw any bombs. Donaghey had been a member of Fianna Éireann, an IRA-linked Republican youth movement. Paddy Ward, a police informer who gave evidence at the Saville Inquiry, claimed that he had given two nail bombs to Donaghey several hours before he was shot dead.
  • Gerard (James) McKinney. Shot just after Gerald Donaghey. Witnesses stated that McKinney had been running behind Donaghey, and he stopped and held up his arms, shouting "Don't shoot! Don't shoot!", when he saw Donaghey fall. He was then shot in the chest.
  • William Anthony McKinney. Shot from behind as he attempted to aid Gerald McKinney (no relation). He had left cover to try to help Gerald.
  • John Johnston. Shot in the leg and left shoulder on William Street 15 minutes before the rest of the shooting started. Johnston was not on the march, but on his way to visit a friend in Glenfada Park. He died 4½ months later; his death has been attributed to the injuries he received on the day. He was the only one not to die immediately or soon after being shot.

in Wikipédia
   
  

quarta-feira, junho 26, 2013

Veronica Guerin foi assassinada há 17 anos

Veronica Guerin (Artane, 5 de julho de 1958 - Dublin, 26 de junho de 1996) foi uma jornalista irlandesa.
Começou tardiamente na profissão, depois dos 30 anos, e gostava do jornalismo de investigação. Exemplo de determinação e coragem, a sua vontade incessante por justiça fez com que pagasse com a vida a investigação a fundo sobre a máfia e o tráfico de drogas em Dublin, capital da Irlanda, durante a década de 90. Denunciou também a ligação que alguns dos mais importantes gangsters tinham com o IRA. Sofreu um atentado e chegou a ser espancada por um dos maiores mafiosos da cidade.
Depois do seu assassinato, a população da Irlanda revoltou-se e foi para a rua protestar, tendo os barões do tráfico os seus bens confiscados e foram presos. Um ano depois do acontecido, os crimes caíram em mais de 50% na Irlanda.
Veronica Guerin é considerada uma heroína na Irlanda.

Filmes
Dois filmes foram realizados baseados na história de Veronica Guerin:

Canções
A banda de metal progressivo Savatage incluiu uma canção baseada na história da jornalista no álbum The Wake of Magellan, de 1998.
O músico irlandês Christy Moore também escreveu uma canção em sua homenagem, chamada Veronica.


domingo, maio 05, 2013

Bobby Sands morreu há 32 anos

Robert Gerard "Bobby" Sands (Irish: Roibeárd Gearóid Ó Seachnasaigh; 9 March 1954 – 5 May 1981) was an Irish volunteer of the Provisional Irish Republican Army who died on hunger strike while imprisoned in HM Prison Maze.
He was the leader of the 1981 hunger strike in which Irish republican prisoners protested against the removal of Special Category Status. During his strike he was elected as a member of the British Parliament as an Anti H-Block/Armagh Political Prisoner candidate. His death resulted in a new surge of IRA recruitment and activity. International media coverage brought attention to the hunger strikers, and the republican movement in general, attracting both praise and criticism.
Sands was born into a Roman Catholic family in Abbots Cross, and lived in Doonbeg Drive, Newtownabbey, County Antrim, until 1960 when the family was forced to move to Rathcoole, Newtownabbey. His first sister, Marcella, was born in April 1955 and second sister, Bernadette, in November 1958. His parents, John and Rosaleen, had another son, John, in 1962. On leaving school, Bobby became an apprentice coach-builder until he was forced out at gunpoint by loyalists.
In June 1972, at the age of 18, Bobby moved with his family to the Twinbrook housing estate in west Belfast, and had to leave Rathcoole due to loyalist intimidation.
He married Geraldine Noade. His son, Gerard, was born 8 May 1973. Noade soon left to live in England with their son.
Sands' sister, Bernadette Sands McKevitt, is also a prominent Irish Republican. Along with her husband Michael McKevitt she helped to form the 32 County Sovereignty Movement and is accused of involvement with the Real Irish Republican Army. Sands McKevitt is opposed to the Belfast Agreement, stating that "Bobby did not die for cross-border bodies with executive powers. He did not die for nationalists to be equal British citizens within the Northern Ireland state."

IRA activity
In 1972, Sands joined the Provisional IRA. He was arrested and charged in October 1972 with possession of four handguns found in the house where he was staying. Sands was convicted in April 1973 sentenced to five years' imprisonment and released in April 1976. Upon his release from prison in 1976, he returned to his family home in West Belfast, and resumed his active role in the Provisional IRA's cause. He was charged with involvement in the October 1976 bombing of the Balmoral Furniture Company in Dunmurry. He was never convicted of this charge; the presiding judge stated that there was no evidence to support the assertion that Sands had taken part in the bombing. After the bombing, Sands and at least five others were alleged to have been involved in a gun battle with the Royal Ulster Constabulary, although Sands was not convicted due to lack of evidence. Leaving behind two of their wounded friends, Seamus Martin and Gabriel Corbett, Sands, Joe McDonnell, Seamus Finucane, and Sean Lavery tried to escape in a car, but were apprehended. Later, one of the revolvers used in the attack was found in the car in which Sands had been travelling. In 1977, prosecutors charged him with possession of the revolver from which bullets were fired at the RUC after the bombing. After his trial and conviction, Sands was sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment within HM Prison Maze, also known as Long Kesh.
Immediately after his sentence, Sands was implicated in a ruckus and spent the first 22 days "on boards" (all furniture was removed from his cell) in Crumlin Road Prison, 15 days naked, and a No. 1 starvation diet (bread and water) every 3 days.
In prison, Sands became a writer of both journalism and poetry, with work published in the Irish republican newspaper An Phoblacht. In late 1980 Sands was chosen as Officer Commanding of the Provisional IRA prisoners in Long Kesh, succeeding Brendan Hughes who was participating in the first hunger strike.
Republican prisoners organised a series of protests seeking to regain their previous Special Category Status which would free them from some ordinary prison regulations. This began with the "blanket protest" in 1976, in which the prisoners refused to wear prison uniform and wore blankets instead. In 1978, after a number of attacks on prisoners leaving their cells to "slop out" (i.e., empty their chamber pots), this escalated into the "dirty protest", wherein prisoners refused to wash and smeared the walls of their cells with excrement.

While in prison Sands had several letters and articles published in the Republican paper An Phoblacht (en: Republican News) under the pseudonym "Marcella". Other writings attributed to him are: Skylark Sing Your Lonely Song and One Day in My Life. Sands also wrote the lyrics of "Back Home in Derry" and "McIlhatton", which were both later recorded by Christy Moore; and he wrote "Sad Song For Susan" which was later recorded. The melody of "Back Home in Derry" was borrowed from Gordon Lightfoot's famous 1976 song "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald."
MP
Shortly after the beginning of the strike, Frank Maguire, the Independent Republican MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, died suddenly of a heart attack, precipitating the April 1981 by-election.
The sudden vacancy in a seat with a nationalist majority of about five thousand was a valuable opportunity for Sands' supporters to unite the nationalist community behind their campaign. Pressure not to split the vote led other nationalist parties, notably the Social Democratic and Labour Party, to withdraw, and Sands was nominated on the label "Anti H-Block / Armagh Political Prisoner". After a highly polarised campaign, Sands narrowly won the seat on 9 April 1981, with 30,493 votes to 29,046 for the Ulster Unionist Party candidate Harry West - and also become the youngest MP at the time. However Sands died in prison less than a month afterwards, without ever having taken his seat in the Commons.
Following Sands' success, the British Government introduced the Representation of the People Act 1981 which prevents prisoners serving jail terms of more than one year in either the UK or the Republic of Ireland from being nominated as candidates in British elections. This law was introduced in order to prevent the other hunger strikers from being elected to the British parliament.
Hunger strike
he 1981 Irish hunger strike started with Sands refusing food on 1 March 1981. Sands decided that other prisoners should join the strike at staggered intervals in order to maximise publicity with prisoners steadily deteriorating successively over several months. The hunger strike centred on five demands:
  1. The right not to wear a prison uniform;
  2. The right not to do prison work;
  3. The right of free association with other prisoners, and to organise educational and recreational pursuits;
  4. The right to one visit, one letter and one parcel per week;
  5. Full restoration of remission lost through the protest.
The significance of the hunger strike was the prisoners' aim of being declared political prisoners (or prisoners of war) as opposed to criminals. The Washington Post reported that the primary aim of the hunger strike was to generate international publicity.

Death
Sands died on 5 May 1981 in Maze prison hospital after 66 days of hunger-striking, aged 27. The original pathologist's report recorded the hunger strikers' causes of death as "self-imposed starvation", later amended to simply "starvation" after protests from the dead strikers' families. The coroner recorded verdicts of "starvation, self-imposed".
The announcement of Sands's death prompted several days of rioting in nationalist areas of Northern Ireland. A milk deliverer, Eric Guiney, and his son, Desmond, died as a result of injuries sustained when their milk float crashed after being stoned by rioters in a predominantly nationalist area of north Belfast. Over 100,000 people lined the route of Sands's funeral and he was buried in the 'New Republican Plot' alongside 76 others. Their grave is maintained and cared for by the National Graves Association, Belfast. Sands was a Member of the Westminster Parliament for 25 days, though he never took his seat or the oath.
In response to a question in the House of Commons on 5 May 1981, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher said, "Mr. Sands was a convicted criminal. He chose to take his own life. It was a choice that his organisation did not allow to many of its victims".
Sands was survived by his parents, siblings, and his son, Gerard.