London Stock Exchange bombing
Part of the Troubles
The Stock Exchange Tower in 1983
Location	Stock Exchange Tower, London, United Kingdom
Date	20 July 1990 08:49 (UTC)
Target	London Stock Exchange
Attack type	Bomb
Deaths	0
Injured	0
Perpetrator	Provisional Irish Republican Army

The Troubles
in Britain | Continental Europe

1970 – 1981

1982 – 1998

The London Stock Exchange bombing occurred on the morning of 20 July 1990 with the explosion of a 5 to 10 lb (2.3 to 4.5 kg) bomb of high explosives inside the London Stock Exchange building in the City of London, England, planted by the Provisional IRA. The building and surroundings were evacuated after the IRA gave a telephone warning 40 minutes prior to the explosion, and thus nobody was wounded. But the bomb's strength blew a 10-foot hole inside the Stock Exchange Tower, and caused massive damage to the visitors' gallery on the first floor. The bomb was placed in the men's toilets behind the gallery.^[1] The gallery and public viewing area was forced to close in 1992.

Background

The bombing came on the eighth anniversary of the 1982 Hyde Park and Regent's Park bombings which killed eleven people. The IRA launched a renewed campaign in London in 1990. During May, a soldier at an army recruiting centre was killed by a bomb in Wembley, whilst five were injured in a similar explosion in Eltham. In June 1990 bombs at the Honourable Artillery Company and the Carlton Club injured 19 and 20 people respectively.^[2]

Investigation and aftermath

Scotland Yard's anti-terrorist chief George Churchill-Coleman said eight phone calls from the same man with an Irish accent were made between 8:02 am and 8:20 am to the City of London Police, the London Fire Brigade, Reuters, the Financial Times, the Salvation Army and the Stock Exchange itself.^[3]

The Stock Exchange's chairman however said after the attack "If the purpose of this callous act was to bring the City to a halt, they have failed singularly." The explosion had little impact on stock trading since that was being carried out by computers elsewhere.^[4] In 1992, the IRA bombed the Baltic Exchange building in the City.^[5]

References

^ "1990: IRA bombs Stock Exchange". 20 July 1990 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
^ Times, Sheila Rule and Special To the New York (21 July 1990). "London Stock Exchange Is Rocked by a Bombing". The New York Times.
^ Frankel, Glenn (21 July 1990). "POLICE BLAME IRA FOR LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE BOMB" – via www.washingtonpost.com.
^ FINEMAN, MARK (21 July 1990). "Bomb Blast Rips London's Stock Exchange; No Injuries Reported : Terrorism: Apparent IRA warning allows time to evacuate the building and surrounding area" – via LA Times.
^ Oppenheimer, A. R. (2009). IRA: The Bombs and The Bullets. A History of Deadly Ingenuity. Irish Academic Press. p. 124. ISBN 978-0-7165-2895-1.

Provisional Irish Republican Army

General

Organisation

Actions

1970–1979	Battle of St Matthew's Falls Curfew 1970 Crossmaglen bombing Scottish soldiers' killings Red Lion bombing Balmoral showroom bombing Abercorn bombing Donegall Street bombing Battle at Springmartin Battle of Lenadoon Bloody Friday Claudy bombing Newry customs bombing Old Bailey bombing Honey Trap killings King's Cross & Euston bombings Coleraine bombings 1973 Westminster bombing M62 bombing Clogher attack Houses of Parliament bombing Tower of London bombing Guildford pub bombings Harrow School bombing Brooks's Club bombing Woolwich pub bombing British Airways bombing attempt Birmingham pub bombings London pillar box bombings Talbot Arms bombing Bristol bombing Telephone exchange bombings 1974 Oxford Street bombing Carlton Tower & Portman Hotel shootings Mountainview attack Bayardo Bar attack Forkhill attack Caterham Arms bombing Tullyvallen massacre London Hilton bombing Piccadilly bombing Trattoria Fiore bombing Scott's Oyster Bar bombing Walton's Restaurant bombing Drummuckavall ambush Balcombe Street siege Kingsmill massacre Cannon Street train bombing West Ham station attack Olympia bombing Store bar shooting Stag Inn attack Garryhinch ambush Jonesborough Gazelle downing La Mon restaurant bombing Crossmaglen ambush Warrenpoint ambush Brussels bombing Dungannon attack
1980–1989	Dunmurry train bombing Lough Foyle attacks Glasdrumman ambush 1981 Bessbrook attack Chelsea Barracks bombing Hyde Park & Regent's Park bombings Harrods bombing Royal Artillery Barracks bombing Brighton hotel bombing Ballygawley land mine attack Newry mortar attack Ballygawley attack Enniskillen mortar attack RUC Birches barracks attack Rheindahlen bombing Loughgall ambush Operation Flavius Corporals killings Lisburn bombing Aughanduff Lynx shootdown 1988 Netherlands attacks Glamorgan barracks bombing Inglis Barracks bombing Ballygawley bus bombing Jonesborough ambush Clive Barracks bombing Deal barracks bombing Mayobridge attack Derryard attack
1990–1991	Derrygorry Gazelle downing South Armagh sniper Downpatrick roadside bomb Operation Conservation Carlton Club bombing 1990 Eltham bombing 1990 Wembley bombing Honourable Artillery Company bombing Lichfield gun attack RFA Fort Victoria bombing Proxy bombings Downing Street mortar attack Paddington & Victoria station bombings Mullacreevie ambush Glenanne barracks bombing Coagh ambush Musgrave Park Hospital bombing Crumlin Road Prison bombing
1992–1997	Teebane bombing Clonoe ambush London Bridge bombing Staples Cnr bombing Baltic Exchange bombing Sussex Arms bombing Cloghoge attack Coalisland riots Forensic Science Laboratory bombing Stoke Newington Road bomb 1992 Manchester bombing Night of the Long Knives 1993 Harrods bombing Warrington bombings Cullaville occupation Camden bombing Bishopsgate bombing Finchley Road bombings Battle of Newry Road Shankill Road bombing 1993 Fivemiletown ambush Heathrow attacks Crossmaglen Lynx downing Drumcree conflict Docklands bombing Aldwych bus bombing 1996 Manchester bombing Hammersmith Bridge bombing Osnabrück mortar attack Thiepval barracks bombing Coalisland attack 1997 Northern Ireland riots

Personalities
(Volunteers)

Espionage and
Supergrasses

Eamon Collins
Denis Donaldson
Joseph Fenton
Kevin Fulton
Raymond Gilmour
Martin McGartland
Sean O'Callaghan
Freddie Scappaticci (allegedly "Stakeknife")

Associates

Derivatives

Prominent
killings

51°30′52″N 0°05′12″W / 51.51444°N 0.08667°W / 51.51444; -0.08667

Background

Investigation and aftermath

See also

References