Ivan Cooper

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For the New Zealand cricketer, see Ivan Cooper (cricketer).

Ivan Averill Cooper (5 January 1944 – 26 June 2019)[1] was a nationalist politician from Northern Ireland. He was a member of the Parliament of Northern Ireland and a founding member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP). He is best known for leading the civil rights march on 30 January 1972 that developed into the Bloody Sunday massacre.

Early years

Cooper was born in

rights "as the blacks in America were fighting".[5]

Attempting to rise above

sectarian politics, he remained hopeful that both Catholics and Protestants could work together, particularly the working classes of both groups, who he believed shared the same greater interests. His nationalist stance, however, led many fellow Protestants to view him as a traitor.[6] Cooper nonetheless remained a practicing Anglican.[7]

Civil rights campaign

Cooper continued his civil rights campaigning, ignoring a month-long ban imposed on marches in Derry in November 1968 by organising a march two days later with the DCAC in which up to 15,000 people took part.[citation needed] Following violence resulting from numerous illegal marches in the city, Cooper called for a halt to spontaneous marches.[8] After escalation of street disturbances at the start of the year, following a march by the People's Democracy movement, which resulted in residents of the Bogside cordoning off areas with impromptu barricades, Cooper managed to persuade locals to remove the barricades. The damage seemed irreparable, however, after a march in Newry got out of control. Most Protestants and many Catholics who had remained supportive of the civil rights actions now withdrew their support.[9]

Parliament

In the

independent member of the Parliament of Northern Ireland for Mid-Londonderry,[4] defeating the sitting Nationalist Party MP, Paddy Gormley
.

On 12 August – the start of the few intense days of violence which have become known as the Battle of the Bogside – Cooper tried to restrain Catholics protesting an Apprentice Boys of Derry parade by linking arms with John Hume and Eddie McAteer. However, they were swept aside and Cooper was knocked unconscious by a brick.[10]

Cooper was suspended from

Public Order Bill.[11]

SDLP

On 21 August 1970, Cooper co-founded the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) with Hume, Paddy Devlin, Austin Currie, Paddy O’Hanlon and Gerry Fitt.[6][12][13]

Cooper organised a civil rights and anti-internment march for 30 January 1972, which was to develop into Bloody Sunday, whereupon fourteen unarmed civilians were murdered by soldiers from the Parachute Regiment on duty in Derry, who opened fire on the crowd.[4]

After the prorogation of the Stormont Parliament, Cooper was elected as one of the representatives of

Bernadette McAliskey.[citation needed
]

In 1983, Cooper stood aside after the boundary changes for the new Foyle constituency to let his colleague and friend John Hume contest the seat. The increase in levels of violence intertwined with the politics made Cooper slowly move away from politics. He was later an insolvency consultant.[6]

Legacy

At the height of his political career, Ivan Cooper commanded the largest support of any nationalist Stormont MP. A film was released in 2002, called Bloody Sunday, in which Cooper is portrayed by actor James Nesbitt.[6]

He was the husband of Frances Cooper, and had two daughters; Sinead and Bronagh Cooper.[14]

References

  1. ^ Carroll, Rory (26 June 2019). "Ivan Cooper, Northern Ireland civil rights leader, dies at 75". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  2. ISBN 0-85640-476-4
    .
  3. ISBN 0-7171-2081-3
    .
  4. ^ a b c "Ivan Cooper: Civil rights leader forever linked to Bloody Sunday". BBC News. 26 June 2019. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  5. ISBN 0-85640-476-4
    .
  6. ^ a b c d "Bloody Sunday leader finds faith in film". BBC News. 30 January 2002. Retrieved 5 July 2007.
  7. ^ Ryder, Chris (1 July 2019). "Ivan Cooper obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
  8. ISBN 0-7171-2081-3
    .
  9. ISBN 0-85640-476-4
    .
  10. ^ Ibid pp. 666
  11. ISBN 0-7171-2081-3
    .
  12. ISBN 0-85640-476-4
    .
  13. ^ Boothroyd, David. "Biographies of Members of the Northern Ireland House of Commons". Retrieved 5 July 2007.
  14. ^ O'Neill, Leona (27 June 2019). "Tributes for Ivan Cooper, Protestant in vanguard of civil rights movement". Belfast Telegraph. Archived from the original on 11 May 2021. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
Parliament of Northern Ireland
Preceded by
Patrick Gormley
Member of Parliament for Mid Londonderry

1969–1973 		Parliament abolished
Northern Ireland Assembly (1973)
New assembly
Mid-Ulster

1973–1974 		Assembly abolished
Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention
New convention Member for
Mid-Ulster

1975–1976 		Convention dissolved
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