the clerkenwell bombing infamous action carried out fenians in britain. resulted in long-lived backlash fomented hostility against irish community in britain.
the events led bombing started arrest, in november 1867, of richard o sullivan-burke, senior fenian arms agent planned prison-van escape in manchester few months earlier. o sullivan-burke subsequently imprisoned on remand in middlesex house of detention, clerkenwell. on 13 december attempt rescue him made blowing hole in prison wall. explosion misjudged; demolished not large section of wall, number of tenement houses opposite in corporation lane (now row) resulting in 12 people being killed , on 50 suffering range of injuries.
the bombing had traumatic effect on british working-class opinion. karl marx, living in london, observed:
the london masses, have shown great sympathy towards ireland, made wild , driven arms of reactionary government. 1 cannot expect london proletarians allow blown in honour of fenian emissaries.
the radical, charles bradlaugh, condemned incident in newspaper national reformer act calculated destroy sympathy, , evoke opposition of classes .
the day before explosion, prime minister, benjamin disraeli, had banned political demonstrations in london in attempt put stop weekly meetings , marches being held in support of fenians. had feared ban might challenged, explosion had effect of turning public opinion in favour.
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