thugs endeavoured resistance of the nationalist munity in what became known as the attles of the Bogside and the Falls After anised police treet confit, madely by stones sod street conflict, petrol bomba, the Brttist in troops to authority.
In August 1971 the Stormont junta, which was & one party stateiet repressive or weapons terment since introduced without charge or trial. As reports of torture leaked camps, the-many-sided protest move ment became even more determined and active. By the end of December a group of trade unionists from different parts of the occupied statelet, concon People's Democracy group, planned to defy the ban on demonstrations.. tions.
Outflanked This call led to some 4,000 people on Christmas Day taking snow-drifted roads from Long Kesh concentration camp some ten miles away. The British army had outflanked and preparations halt the proved abortive. There was a sense of ubliation in the nationalist ghettoe all over the north. The law had been flouted and made to look like an ass; while the barricades remained intact, holding out both the British and the infamous RUC.
those barricades commune-style society existed. The people set up their own robotialo bulletins, local advice centres, policing, radio stations, an independent postal service.
A march called by the Civil Rights Association for Derry on 30 January promised to be resistance. On 26 January Unionist Premier Brian Faulkner beld talks with British army general 1 uzo. he next day he flew to London for private talks with Heath.
On January Defence and Overseas met after a previous meeting of the inner cabinet' Such gathering was hardly mere arrest and snatch-squad operation. There followed a public commitment from the British army and the RUC that they would 'action', as yet unspecified, against illegal marchers.
Assurances On 29 January, Paisley called off his counter-demonstration in after a suranbe halt the civorcents march necessary": His supporters were instructed to stay off the streets, and on no account 'be anywhere near the city the left-wing to the Belfast fo all their march co-ops, and show of Cabinet's Committee august flown in -discussing a mand of Colonel Derek who was the take work on that day.
The army leave the Guildhall Square erected Street. FEW PEOPLE today remember more about Bloody Sunday than the single fact that the British army shot and killed 14 civil rights marchers in Derry on 30 January 1972. But the details and context 6° centre'. The chosen instrument was Lord the Ist Battalion of the Parachute Regiment under the comWilford, to receive an OBE them English monarch for his allowed the march to Catholic ghetto prevented it from marching to the by barricades William Street. The organisers, accustomed to such diversions, re-directed the march towards Free Derry Corner, some 500 yards from the British army along Rossville soon While Bernadette Devlin MP and Sunday is to be understood as well as remembered.
...As chest.
Official attack or trying to surrender...
fled, Gerald McKinney stood still, holding his hands above his head to indicate surrender'. A soklier corse mp, raised his rifle and killed him by a shot in the The army version of events - as given in an official statement in the Commons by the Minister of Defence - was a tangle of lies. They claimed they opened fire after coming under nail bombers and fusillade of fire of 50 - 80 shots from the area of Rossville Street'..
independent witness from among the scores of journalists and other observers accepted this contention. The army cold not produce the bullets or the bomb fragments or