The Campaign For Civil Rights Flashcards
What does NICRA stand for?
Northern Ireland civil rights association.
Why did NICRA form?
To protest their felling in not being treated the same as Catholics, discrimination in employment, Gerrymandering and that the structure of voting was favoured for unionists.
What were NICRAs aims and demands?
Everyone over the age of 18 to have a vote
Council houses to be allocated more fairly
Address gerrymandering issue
End discrimination in allocation of government jobs
End to special powers act
The disbandment of the B specials
Equality
How did NICRA protest
Sit ins
Marches
Media
Sang songs “we shall overcome”
When and where did the sit ins take place and why,
They happen in Caledon June 1968. They did this as 14/15 new houses were given to unionists. For example a 19 year old Protestant girl got a house over a nationalist family.
So Austin Currie and others staged an 8 month sit in.
What marches happened
August 1968 Dungannon
October 1968 Londonderry
January 1969 Newry
Why did the NI government ban peaceful protests
To stop possible violence
Why did moderate unionists support NICRA
They felt NI needed change. They believed that if a fairer society was created that the threats of a United ireland would disappear
Why did some suspicious unionists not support NICRA
They saw it as a front for the IRA. It ignored the fact that some Protestants also lived in poor housing and were unemployed.
What were NICRAs demands compared to O’Neills 5 point programme
NICRA. 5PP
Everyone over 18 to have. Ending of extra votes for
One man one vote Business owners
Fair allocation Allocation of houses on a
Of houses Point system
An end to gerrymandering. New development commission in Londonderry.
Who were the PD
The people’s democracy was a NICRA splinter group. They were unwilling to pause protest due to the 5 point reform programme
When was the PD March
January 1st 1969
What was significant about the PD March
They marched from Belfast to Derry. They planned to go through many unionist areas. They managed to stay out of trouble until they got to Burntollet bridge just outside of Derry. On January 4th 1969 the group were ambushed by loyalists with stones and beat them with sticks and cudgels. The marchers claimed that the police did nothing to protect them. Some claimed that some of the loyalist beating them were off duty B-specials. Later that day rioting in Londonderry caused the bog side to barricade themselves in creating a no go zone for the RUC
What is the Cameron commission
It was a British independent report that found the RUC guilty of assault and misconduct.
Unionists were furious with the report (Faulkner and Craig resigned from stormont in protest). 12 MPs in London demanded O’Neills resignation.
Why did O’Neill resign?
He was never actually that popular as he wasn’t elected into office but chosen by higher ups.
Some of his own ministers resigned due to the Cameron commission
Nationalist optimism gave way to frustration as he implemented 5 point programme.
Loyalist bombings in protest of him being in office as he was a moderate unionist trying to make a change.
In the crossroads election he did not get as many votes as he thought. He barely won
The 1969 widespread violence put pressure on O’Neill causing him to resign.
