NICRA’s Tactics and O’Neill’s Response

1. NICRA’s Tactics and O’Neill’s Response

2. Marching for Houses • NICRA followed the in the footsteps of their American counterparts and decided to use peaceful marches. It was first used on 24 August 1968. The occasion was a march between the County Tyrone towns of Coalisland and Dungannon. This demonstration took place because of the Dungannon rural district council to give a council house to a 19-year old single Protestant woman. In response to this decision Austin Currie, Nationalist Mp for East Tyrone, squatted in the house. Click on the hyperlink below for more information on Austin Currie’s protest. Currie's Protest RTE

3. Currie was eventually evicted • After this he suggested a protest march to highlight the situation. Although the demonstration was prevented by the police from reaching its intended destination of Dungannon town square, an alternative rally was organised at the town police barricade and the event passed off without incident. These were important steps- Direct action in politics had begun. Since there was no impartial administrative mechanism by which house allocation could be made, and since there was no method of appeal against administrative malpractice, the only course open to those wishing to object to a Government policy was direct action.

4. Violence in Derry • House allocation was also the issue that led to NICRA’s second march. In order to highlight the inequalities in Londonderry’s Corporation’s housing policy, a march was organised for 5 October 1968. The march was due to travel from the Waterside to the city centre via the Craigavon Bridge. In response the Apprentice Boys threatened to hold a rival march. The Stormont Government responded by banning the holding of any march east of the River Foyle or within the City’s walls. The NICRA march’s organisers rejected the ban.

5. Five MPs Involved • Although the crowd that turned up on the 5 October was relatively small, they were accompanied by four powerful MPs, and even more importantly an RTE camera crew. That night television pictures beamed across the world showed more clearly than any words the heavy-handed tactics used by the police to break up the rally. It became clear to many on that night Northern Ireland was on the verge of a crisis that would prove difficult to resolve.

6. The First Bloodshed ‘These were stormtrooper tactics at their worst.’ • October 5 in Derry witnessed the first bloodshed in the present violence in Northern Ireland. The blood was that of many of the 2,000 marchers who defied Craig's ban. It was spilled by RUC batons and among those injured was Gerry Fitt. Three other Westminster MPs, Russel Kerr, Ann Kerr and John Ryan witnessed the events. They saw the police baton the leading marchers in Duke Street and they saw that as the marchers turned to go back down the street they were ambushed by another company of police. Although only 2,000 people were present, the film of the brutality taken by an RTE cameraman flashed around the living rooms of Northern Ireland and the political upheaval feared by Unionists for fifty years had begun. • Protests in Derry BBC Gerry Fitt

7. The Five Point Programme • The situation got worse with the further NICRA marches and loyalist counter demonstrations. As a result O’Neill, Faulkner and Craig were summoned to Westminster on 4 November to meet the British Labour Prime Minister, Harold Wilson. The outcome of this meeting was the announcement, on 22 November, of a reform programme. The programme included five main proposals, all of which were to be in place by the end of 1971. The proposals were • The allocation of housing on a points system • The replacement of Londonderry corporation by a Development Commission. • The removal of certain parts of the Special Powers Act. • Reforms within local government, including the ending of extra votes for business owners • The appointment of an ombudsman to investigate complaints.

8. Were the protesters happy with the five point programme? • Wilson had said in the Commons that he thought that political reform in Northern Ireland had been "a bit too moderate so far", but in a five point plan of reform sent to O'Neill on November 21. Wilson proved that he too was moderate on the issue. It did point the way towards a brighter future, even if it did fail to deliver all of the demands of NICRA. • The "reforms" included the abolition of the company vote in local government elections, the appointment of an Ombudsman at some future date, re-organisation of local government by 1971, a recommendation -nothing stronger - to local authorities to reform their housing allocation procedures and the establishment of a commission to run Derry in place of the Corporation. It was an empty gesture by Wilson. Derry had gone from "One Man, One Vote" to "One Man, No Vote" with the abolition of the Corporation, the Ombudsman might never come and although the company vote had been abolished, the property qualification had not. One man could still have more than one vote. Wilson's concern for Civil rights proved as strong as that of O'Neill.

9. Calm Before the Storm? • Protests and counter protests continued and so, 9 December, O’Neill appeared on television to hammer home the starkness of the position of Northern Ireland. In particular he appealed to NICRA’s leaders to restore calm. • "Ulster at the Crossroads" Ulster stands at the crossroads. I believe you know me well enough by now to appreciate that I am not a man given to extravagant language. But I must say to you this evening that our conduct over the coming days and weeks will decide our future

10. Hope at First • His message seemed to have the desired effect and all further street protests were called off. However, the breathing space O’Neill had won would prove to very short-lived. While he might have managed to calm the civil rights movement, the reforms had caused dismay among the unionist community, who now felt that their position was under threat. Moreover O’Neill faced further opposition from within his own party with Home Affairs Minister William Craig condemning O’Neill’s television speech arguing that the Prime Minister was acting under pressure from the British. Craig was sacked, but even more opposition was appearing on the horizon.

11. Complete the Following: Community Relations Political and Economic Aims Nationalist Response Terrence O’Neill 1963-69 Five Point Plan Unionist Response Position Under threat Add detail on to each heading and how it had an effect on O’Neill’s leadership

12. Tasks • Complete questions 1-4 on page 115 of your text book. • Class discussion- Take on the role of the following:

13. A Catholic Supporter of NICRA • Do you think NICRA’s aims are realistic? • Are you worried about the tension the organisation is causing? • Why do you think NICRA’s demands are justifiable?

14. Paisley Supporter • Do you agree with NICRA’s aims? • What do you think NICRA is a cover for? • Do you think NICRA’s demands are justifiable?

15. A moderate Unionist • Do you agree with all of NICRA’s demands? • Are you worried with the popularity of the civil rights campaign? • Do you think NICRA’s demands are justifiable?

16. A student from Queen’s University • You are from an educated background. • Are you worried with the tension the demand for civil rights is causing? • Do you believe NICRA’s demands are justifiable?

17. Now stay in role • How would your group react to the following question: • O’Neill dismissed his Five Point Reform Package as too timid. Do you agree?