the Campaign for Civil Rights Flashcards
Discrimination faced by Catholics
- Housing
- Gerrymandering
- Business owners – extra votes
- Special Powers act
- B- Specials
- Measures O’Neill introduced favoured Protestants
- Discrimination in government jobs
Discrimination in housing
- Unionist councils allocated houses to Protestants, nationalist councils to Catholics
- Allocated by councillors not based on need
Gerrymandering
- Fixing of election, boundaries took place in many council areas, controlled by unionists
Business owners – extra votes
- Majority of these were Protestants
Special Powers act
- Allowed Unionist government to arrest, interrogate, detain people without trial - internment
Discrimination in government jobs
Majority went to Protestants
Measures O’Neill introduced favoured Protestants
E.g. location of new University in Coleraine rather than Derry
B-Specials
- Part-time policemen
- helped RUC
- reputation for unfair treatment of Catholics
Six aims of NICRA
-
One man, one vote
- allow a vote to all people over the age of 18
- remove the right business owners to cast multiple votes -
fairer allocation of council houses
- had to be ratepayer (house owner) to vote
- allocated by local councillors not on basis of need
- fewer Catholic home-owners = less Catholics able to vote
- major grievances- discrimination and overcrowding - End to gerrymandering
- End to discrimination in the allocation of government jobs
- Removal of special powers act and disbanding of the B-Specials
- An independent ombudsman
NICRA
Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association
Formation of NICRA
1967
University educated Catholics
influences
- MLK
- JFK
- France-1968
- TV - educated them about things going on around the world
- free education 1948
- supported by new generation of Catholics and moderate Protestants
Nationalist/Catholic attitudes towards NICRA
New generation of Catholics who had been able to attend secondary school free of charge as a result of the introduction of the 11+ exam in 1947, supported NICRA
Liberal Protestants attitudes toward NICRA
- believed that N.I.’s Catholics were being unfairly treated
- believed that if NICRA’s aims were achieved, there will be no reason for Catholics to want to be part of a united Ireland
Unionist attitudes towards NICRA
- Largest opposition
- feared IRA in disguise 🥸
- believed it was not interested in equality for everyone in NI only catholics
- could weaken Protestant control of NI —> united Ireland 🇮🇪
Causes of 24th of August 1968, Coalisland to Dungannon NICRA March
- chosen as location of first march to protest Dungannon councils decision to allocate one of its council houses in a small village of Caledon to 19-year-old Protestant woman, rather than a large Catholic family
- Caledon homes had been intended for mixed community, but 14 out of 15 houses given to Protestants
Event of 24 August 1968 Coalisland to Dungannon, NICRA March
- 24 August 1968, NICRAs first March, held in County Tyrone
- March began Coalisland and ended in Dungannon
Consequences, 24 August 1968 to Dungannon, NICRA March
- publicity surrounding March acted as encouragement to other protest in groups to form branches of NICRA
- march past peacefully no major consequences
causes 5th October 1968, Derry NICRA march
- Organise to draw attention to discrimination in housing policy of the Londonderry corporation (local council of Derry)
Event 5th October 1968, Derry NICRA march
- Stormont government banned march, fearing outbreak of violence as apprentice boys (loyalist club) announced demonstration at the same time
- NICRA ignored the ban
- March started on Duke Street, Derry’s Waterside area
- moved up Duke Street towards Craigavon Bridge protesters faced by lines of police officers
- police were heavy handed in their efforts to stop the march, filmed by RTÉ television crew accompanying protesters
Consequences, 5 October 1968, Derry NICRA march
- violent tactics used by some of the police were captured by RTÉ television crew and resulting images were widely seen at home and abroad
- this had a profound effect on many people around the world, particularly the Catholic population of NI
- two days of serious rioting in Derry after the march between the Catholic residents of the city and the RUC
RUC
Royal Ulster Constabulary
Five Point Reform Programme - November 1968
Points system
- would be introduced to ensure fairer allocation of council houses
Londonderry Corporation would be replaced by a Development Commission
some parts of the 1922 Special Powers Act would be removed
removal of additional votes of businesses
- along with other reforms to the operation of local government
establishment of an ombudsman
- an official who deals with complaints from the public
Unionist response to O’Neill’s Five Point Reform Programme
- dismay
- believed reforms were concessions won by violence
- felt their position was under threat
- angered by reforms such as replacement of Londonderry Commission with a Development Commission
- William Craig, Minister of Home Affairs criticised television appearance justifying reforms and was sacked
Nationalist response to O’Neill’s Five Point Reform Programme
- disappointed at failure to make key concessions e.g one man, one vote, abolishing B-Specials
- NICRA leaders gave reforms a chance called off all further street protests
- PD was disappointed at limited nature of reforms
PD
People’s Democracy
Why was the PD formed?
- made up of mainly university students
- emerged out of students anger at the violence NICRA has faced October 1968
Who are Michael Farrell and Bernadette Devlin?
Leaders of the PD
PD’s aims
- disrupt stormont
- end gerrymandering
- one man, one vote
- houses to be distributed based on need
- people to be employed based on merit
- free speech
- repeal of the special powers act - 1922
Why were the PD condemned by NICRA and nationalist leaders?
Kept its campaign going after 5 point reform programme
Why were the PD called “provocative”?
- went through a number of Protestant areas
causes PD march - 1st- 4th January 1969 - Belfast to Derry
- Unhappy with what it saw as the limited nature of the five point reform programme
- PD decided to hold of march between Belfast and Derry
event PD march - 1st- 4th January 1969 - Belfast to Derry
- Ignored condemnations from nationalist leaders** and NICRA
- Went through a number of Protestant areas provoked unionists forced police to use different routes avoid confrontation
- Placards and protest songs – “we shall overcome “ - us civil rights movement
- Ambush at Burntollet Bridge third day, 4 th January
- Planned in advance, 200 loyalists, including off duty B-Specials
- used sticks, iron-bars, bottles and stones to attack marchers
- 80 RUC officers did little to protect
- that night police rampaged through nationalist areas of Derry
consequences PD march - 1st- 4th January 1969 - Belfast to Derry
- Catholics were bitter at the ambush and attack on march at Burntollet Bridge
- behaviour of police led to collapse of their reputation in Catholic areas
- revival and growth in sectarianism
- Protestants saw it as “invasion” of their territory
- growing militancy in nationalist community
- NICRA began to march again
O’Neill
- cameron commission
What did the Cameron Commission find?
- Inquiry into disturbances
it found
- “a number of policemen were guilty of misconduct which involved assault and battery, malicious damage to property… and the use of provocative, sectarianism and political slogans”
Reasons for O’Neill’s resignation
never the popular choice for OUP leader
- selected not elected
- most unionists would’ve preferred Brian Faulkner
violence followed NICRA march in Derry- October 1968
- increased pressure on O’Neill and PD
opposition in cabinet
- 12 MPs called for resignation
Consequences of crossroads election
- Ian Paisley gaining support
series of bombings - April 1969
- appeared to be work of the IRA
- actually done by loyalists
Crossroads election
- attempt by O’Neill to prove public opinion was in his favour
- results not what he wanted showed
- reduction in Unionist support
- little to no evidence of Nationalist support
- divisions of loyalty among OUP MPs
- challenged in own Bannside constituency - Paisley
Crossroads election
- General election called by O’Neill
- effort to gain support for efforts to modernise NI
- Response for growing calls for resignation
Gerrymandering
the practice of drawing electoral boundaries in a way that would serve to benefit one community over the other
e.g. in Derry/Londonderry because of the electoral boundaries Unionist who made up 10,274 of the population in Derry/Londonderry dominated the council in the city even though the Catholic population was 20,102.
Unionist reactions to civil rights marches (DUP)
• The Reverend Ian Paisley and his supporters organised counter-protests to NICRA marches. Some within the Unionist community felt that the NICRA was nothing more than a front for the IRA, while others believed that it was only interested in Catholic rights and would undermine the position of Protestants.
O’Neills reaction PD march - 1st- 4th January 1969 - Belfast to Derry
Cameron commission
Burntollet Bridge
1st - 4th January 1969
Who influenced NICRA?
influences
- MLK
- JFK
- France-1968
- TV - educated them about things going on around the world
- free education 1948
NICRA response to 5PRP
- NICRA leaders gave reforms a chance called off all further street protests
PD response to 5PRP
- PD was disappointed at limited nature of reforms
Unionist response to civil rights marches
• some believed that NICRA wanted a united Ireland and therefore threatened the continued existence of Northern Ireland.
•
Apprentice boys response to civil rights marches
The Apprentice Boys attempted to have a rival march on the day of the NICRA march in Derry/Londonderry, October 1968. Loyalists ambushed the People’s Democracy march from Belfast to Derry/Londonderry January 1969, at Burntollet Bridge.
Moderate unionist response to civil rights marches
• Some moderate unionists were genuinely shocked at the revelations of discrimination in the late 1960’s and agreed with O’Neill’s steps towards reforms and supported the civil rights movement from the start and joined the NICRA believing that making Northern Ireland fairer would undermine demands for a united Ireland.
