Post by leeside on Jan 6, 2011 13:29:01 GMT
The Irish Times - Thursday, January 6, 2011
January 6th,1969
FROM THE ARCHIVES: AMONG THE most notorious incidents in the early days of the Troubles in Northern Ireland were the ambushes by loyalists of a group of People’s Democracy students marching from Belfast to Derry in support of civil rights. Michael Heney described what happened when they got to Burntollet bridge.
On Saturday morning, about 70 marchers set out on the final, battle-torn 10-mile walk from Claudy to Derry at about 10.30. They decided beforehand not to retaliate against expected stone-throwing, even if injured – unless anyone was in danger of serious harm or loss of limb.
Two busloads of Derry people joined their ranks shortly after departure. The march was quiet for two and a half miles, until halted at a bridge at Cumber for 20 minutes as police investigated the possibility of attack from a group of “loyalists” ahead, stationed around Burntollet bridge. By now the marchers numbered about 250, including about 70 women and young girls.
The march proceeded. The narrow road now wound downhill to the right between high hedges, with high ground on the right and land sloping away from the road on the left. It was a perfect ambush point.
A group of about 50 armed men waited on the bridge below with sticks and other weapons. Major Ronald Bunting was seen nearby. Other groups could be seen standing silently in the fields above the road, waiting. Across the fields to the left it was clear that the whole area was swarming with “loyalists”. About a dozen or more policemen were stationed in the field on the right. I could see no policemen in the fields on the left. More police, with tenders, stood at the bridge beside the “loyalists”.
As the marchers came downhill about a dozen “loyalists”, chanting loudly, joined in front of them. They were armed and when the attack began these turned and began to beat the front ranks of the marchers with sticks. As the marchers neared the bridge, showers of rocks and sticks swept the road. Neither the police nor marchers appeared to have expected so fierce an assault.
The “loyalists” on the bridge crossed and sealed the road; the police formed a line between them and the marchers, but many of the students were seen to be hit severely on the head with cudgels. A young girl went to hospital with a blow on the head from a spade.
The severity of the attack drove about 100 of the marchers, who did not retaliate, over the hedge on the left and down a steep 10-foot drop, in some cases through barbed wire, to the field on the left. I could see many of these, the majority of whom appeared to be young girls, being chased and beaten by “loyalists”. Long gashes were made on the side of many marchers’ heads by the falling stones.
Girls fainted, others fell to the ground in blood. Meanwhile the front rank of the marchers continued moving, and with the assistance of the police made their way across the bridge.
www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2011/0106/1224286865119.html
January 6th,1969
FROM THE ARCHIVES: AMONG THE most notorious incidents in the early days of the Troubles in Northern Ireland were the ambushes by loyalists of a group of People’s Democracy students marching from Belfast to Derry in support of civil rights. Michael Heney described what happened when they got to Burntollet bridge.
On Saturday morning, about 70 marchers set out on the final, battle-torn 10-mile walk from Claudy to Derry at about 10.30. They decided beforehand not to retaliate against expected stone-throwing, even if injured – unless anyone was in danger of serious harm or loss of limb.
Two busloads of Derry people joined their ranks shortly after departure. The march was quiet for two and a half miles, until halted at a bridge at Cumber for 20 minutes as police investigated the possibility of attack from a group of “loyalists” ahead, stationed around Burntollet bridge. By now the marchers numbered about 250, including about 70 women and young girls.
The march proceeded. The narrow road now wound downhill to the right between high hedges, with high ground on the right and land sloping away from the road on the left. It was a perfect ambush point.
A group of about 50 armed men waited on the bridge below with sticks and other weapons. Major Ronald Bunting was seen nearby. Other groups could be seen standing silently in the fields above the road, waiting. Across the fields to the left it was clear that the whole area was swarming with “loyalists”. About a dozen or more policemen were stationed in the field on the right. I could see no policemen in the fields on the left. More police, with tenders, stood at the bridge beside the “loyalists”.
As the marchers came downhill about a dozen “loyalists”, chanting loudly, joined in front of them. They were armed and when the attack began these turned and began to beat the front ranks of the marchers with sticks. As the marchers neared the bridge, showers of rocks and sticks swept the road. Neither the police nor marchers appeared to have expected so fierce an assault.
The “loyalists” on the bridge crossed and sealed the road; the police formed a line between them and the marchers, but many of the students were seen to be hit severely on the head with cudgels. A young girl went to hospital with a blow on the head from a spade.
The severity of the attack drove about 100 of the marchers, who did not retaliate, over the hedge on the left and down a steep 10-foot drop, in some cases through barbed wire, to the field on the left. I could see many of these, the majority of whom appeared to be young girls, being chased and beaten by “loyalists”. Long gashes were made on the side of many marchers’ heads by the falling stones.
Girls fainted, others fell to the ground in blood. Meanwhile the front rank of the marchers continued moving, and with the assistance of the police made their way across the bridge.
www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2011/0106/1224286865119.html
