Burntollet Bridge - 40 Years Ago Today!

[Catalpa]

Hard to beleive that this was 40 years ago but it was one of the seminal moments in the development of the Civil Rights Campaign and showed up the RUC as a sectarian force.

4 January 1969: The ‘Peoples Democracy’ March from Belfast to Derry was attacked at Burntollet Bridge by Loyalists on this day. The RUC flanking the procession failed to offer any meaningful procession to the marchers as they were assaulted and beaten. The original march had begun from Queens University in Belfast on 1 January and was undertaken to highlight the lack of Civil Rights in the North of Ireland. Along the way to Derry the marchers had been continually heckled and occasionally attacked. However when they reached the narrow defile at Burntollet outside Derry City they were the victims of an organised ambush and viciously attacked by a Loyalist mob. The RUC who were in attendance made no serious attempt to intervene and thus encouraged the attackers that kept up their assault as the marchers ran the gauntlet through to the other side.

One reporter from the Irish News described what he witnessed:

"The major portion of the C.R. procession was cut off and left at the mercy of the attackers. A fusillade of stones and bottles was followed by the full weight of the attack against the young men and women who had pledged themselves to a policy of non-violence.
"The attackers showed no mercy. Men were beaten senseless. Girls tore their way through the hedges screaming: 'No! No!' Shouting, club-waving, men pursued them."

Eventually the marchers got through, but not before many of them, incl women and girls, had been attacked and beaten and some seriously injured. Those still able then made their went into Derry and the sanctuary of those of their own persuasion.

[ArtyQueing]

My English teacher was there on that day - he was a great teacher and a great man for whom I have the utmost respect and years later this man burned with a passion when he tod us about it, my father was not able to make it as he was being entertained at her majestys pleasure for not being a good croppy and lying down, exchanged one beating for another - just proves you cannot win in this life.

[Kev408]

I think the tide is turning. Southerners are beginning to realise the appalling injustices sufferred by our northern equals and are becoming more vocal about the whole issue. The exposure of a unionist media in the south, the lack of an inferiority complex and the general awareness of imperialist's failures throughout the world has helped us see NI for what it is. Even die-hard FGers are seeing the light.

[pogon]

I think the tide is turning. Southerners are beginning to realise the appalling injustices sufferred by our northern equals and are becoming more vocal about the whole issue. The exposure of a unionist media in the south, the lack of an inferiority complex and the general awareness of imperialist's failures throughout the world has helped us see NI for what it is. Even die-hard FGers are seeing the light.

The tide has already turned, and harking back to events of forty years ago won't change anything.

And this happened long before the vote to abandon the constitutional claim on N.I..

It's just a shame that you and a few other numbskulls living in your own bubble failed to notice.

[socialdemocrate]

My English teacher was there on that day - he was a great teacher and a great man for whom I have the utmost respect and years later this man burned with a passion when he tod us about it, my father was not able to make it as he was being entertained at her majestys pleasure for not being a good croppy and lying down, exchanged one beating for another - just proves you cannot win in this life.

he doesn't teach in coolmine by any chance. if so i had him too, great teacher

[Mr.De-Regulation]

I think the tide is turning. Southerners are beginning to realise the appalling injustices sufferred by our northern equals and are becoming more vocal about the whole issue. The exposure of a unionist media in the south, the lack of an inferiority complex and the general awareness of imperialist's failures throughout the world has helped us see NI for what it is. Even die-hard FGers are seeing the light.

That doesnt make a lick of sense. Labour party is clearly the closest to being unionist. How many actual unionist TDs have FG had?