The Civil Rights Movement
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Transcript of The Civil Rights Movement
The Civil Rights Movement
• Catholics became to believe that only direct action would make the Unionist government give justice to the Catholic minority.
• The civil rights movement grew out of this feeling.
The Campaign for Social Justice
• The civil rights movement started with protests about housing in Dungannon where Protestants were given priority.
• Patricia and Conn McCluskey set up the Campaign for Social Justice in 1964.
• They argued that if Northern Catholics were part of the United Kingdom they were entitled to the same rights as other UK citizens.
Gerry Fitt and the Labour government
• In London the Campaign for Social Justice had influenced members of the Labour government.
• Gerry Fitt was elected as a Republican Labour MP for West Belfast.
• This encouraged Labour MPs to ask why the British taxpayer should subsidise a government responsible for so many injustices.
Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association
• In 1967 Catholics set up NICRA.
• It was a mixture of moderate nationalists like John Hume and more militant socialists and students like Bernadette Devlin.
• ONE MAN ONE VOTE
October 1968, Derry
• In Derry a Housing Action Committee then persuaded NICRA to back its march on 5 October.
• The march was banned from the centre of Derry by the Minister for Home Affairs, William Craig.
• It went ahead anyway and a riot broke out between the RUC and the marchers.
• These riots occurred during other marches too.
1969
• O’Neill appointed Judge Cameron to enquire into the causes of violence (Cameron report).
• In protest, Faulkner resigned and twelve Unionist MPs called for O’Neill to go. O’Neill called an election.
• 39 Unionist MPs were elected but only 27 backed O’Neill. Paisley almost defeated him in his own constituency.
• Several members of the civil rights campaign won seats.
O’Neill’s resignation
• After the election, O’Neill agreed to accept one man one vote.
• Violence ensued.
• O’Neill resigned on 28 April 1969.