Coalisland riots (1992)

1992 Coalisland riots
Part of the Troubles and Operation Banner
Confrontation between a British paratrooper and a local resident (May 1992)
Date	12 and 17 May 1992
Location	Coalisland, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland 54°32′23.92″N 6°42′01.82″W / 54.5399778°N 6.7005056°W / 54.5399778; -6.7005056Coordinates: 54°32′23.92″N 6°42′01.82″W / 54.5399778°N 6.7005056°W / 54.5399778; -6.7005056
Caused by	Provisional IRA attack on British army patrol near the village of Cappagh, County Tyrone
Resulted in	Parachute Regiment patrols in Northern Ireland cancelled before official tour's end Commanding officer of Northern Ireland's Third Brigade removed
Parties to the civil conflict
Coalisland residents British Army
Casualties
3 hospitalised At least 4 others injured 2 soldiers hospitalised
Another soldier lost his legs during the previous PIRA bomb attack at Cappagh

The 1992 Coalisland riots were a series of clashes on 12 and 17 May 1992 between local Irish nationalist civilians and British Army soldiers (of the Third Battalion of the Parachute Regiment and the King's Own Scottish Borderers) in the town of Coalisland, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. The Third Battalion 1992 tour's codename was "Operation Gypsy".

On 12 May 1992, a unit of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) East Tyrone Brigade launched a bomb attack on a British Army patrol near the republican stronghold of Cappagh, County Tyrone. One soldier of the Parachute Regiment, Alistair Hogdson, lost both legs as a result. The landmine was described in an IRA statement as an "anti-personnel device". The incident triggered a rampage by members of the Parachute Regiment in the nearby, overwhelmingly Irish nationalist town of Coalisland, some ten miles to the east. The IRA attack was described as a "provocation" tactic, devised to produce an over-reaction by troops to make them even more unpopular among local nationalists.

The deployment of the paratroopers, which began in April had already been criticised by republican activist and former Member of Parliament Bernadette Devlin McAliskey, who denounced beatings, shootings and damages to property reportedly carried out by the troops. These previous incidents included the destruction of fishing boats and equipments in the townland of Kinturk, near Ardboe.Unionist politician and Ulster Defence Regiment officer Ken Maginnis, then-Member of Parliament for the area, called for the withdrawal of the regiment after receiving a large number of complaints about their behaviour.