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Emma Groves (1920 - 2 April 2007) was a mother of 11 children, who was blinded after being struck by a rubber bullet in the face at 9am on 4 November 1971. After she was blinded she then became a leading campaigner for the banning the use of plastic bullets and was a co-founder of the United Campaign Against Plastic Bullets.

Shooting incident

In 1971, aged 51, Groves, was standing at her living room window during British Army searches on her neighbours' houses. As a mark of defiance Groves turned on her record player and placed the ballad Four Green Fields on her record player and turned up the volume.

As she turned back to the window, a British soldier, at a distance of about eight yards, shot a plastic bullet through the window hitting her in the face. As a result she lost her sight in both eyes. A doctor at the hospital who was removing Emma's eyes approached Mother Teresa of Calcutta to break the news to Groves that her eyesight was gone. Years later, she received £35,000 compensation, which was seen at the time as a de facto, admission by the British Army, although the soldier involved was never charged.

Campaign to ban "Plastic bullets"

Despite her injuries, Emma campaigned for thirty years for the banning of plastic bullets. Groves and Clara Reilly founded the United Campaign Against Plastic Bullets after the killing of John Downes in August 1984. The aim of the organisation was to bring together the families bereaved or injured by rubber and plastic bullets. They also compiled information on the statistics relating to usage of plastic bullets in Northern Ireland.

References

1. Damian McCarney. ""West Belfast's First Lady"". Andersonstown News. Retrieved 4 April. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
2. Emma Groves
3. Congressional Briefing Paper, April 1993 - The Use of Plastic Bullets in Northern Ireland
4. ^ They Shoot Children: The use of rubber and plastic bullets in the north of Ireland, Published by Information on Ireland, Ivor Place, London, 1982, ISBN 0950738123
5. Blinded plastic bullet campaigner dies
6. STATE VIOLENCE - Northern Ireland 1969-1997

• People from Belfast
• Human rights activists
• 1920 births
• 2007 deaths