Bloody Sunday

The assaults in Selma, including the killing of an army veteran who defended his mother from a beating from the police, led up to what were later to be known as the Bloody Sunday march to be organised. The Bloody Sunday March is the first of three demonstrative marches from Selma

The march took place on March 7, 1965, and was primarly led by the SCLC and SNCC and over 500 people set off from the church in Selma in a demonstrative march to make their way to Montgomery. At the bridge leading out of the town the demonstrators were met by a troop of armed police officers, whom instructed the marchers to turn around and return to their church. The marchers refused and only a few minutes later the police started beating the marching crowd with batons and shot teargas around the crowd, the demonstrators fleeing form the scene were also chased down by policemen on horse-back to be beaten down. Over 60 people were hospitalized from the beating and gassing.

The significance of this event was the media coverage, over 50 million people saw the violence televised all across the world which lead to an outcry from all across the nation, as well as in the world. This lead to an increased amount of supporters nationwide disgusted by the actions of the Alabama state officers, as well as an increased amount of support from congress.