© PRONI HA/32/2/26

Subjectt- Parades at Londonderry on Saturday, 2nd November 1968.

Inspector General

Submitted. Th attached re rts from the District In pectors on duty indicat the progress of tbi parade. I s with District In pector cGimpsey on the journey from the Railway Station and I agre with hi observations.

There appeared to be no r ason why the leading marchers should have stopped at the Gate. It is pDobable that th Y w re xp cting more determined opposition and that they did not r alise that the crowd of people in the archway were photograph rs 0 As far as I can ascertain no blow were struck and the Committee members walked in

11 groups to th Diamond.

In the Diamond ther did not appe r to be undue ten ion d the shal did aaoellent ork in getting their follows to dispers •

Traffic was allowed to flow normally and this helped us to br ak up the group •

G<_?C~ County Inspectoro

© PRONI HA/32/2/26

Subj ot: - Parades at I.ondondem 0 turda.y. 2nd vember, 1968

01 ty ot Londo

. • .I .... ' .

Co ;y I acto , Lcm9nde,N

th e

o

I fo ed e op1n1on people on too ath eft s1 tseer. Thi "'C;U.I~...",y inoreasing 'but wer pl~g no ott ve part.

I t 1'0" tt ched copy.

to Hr. uehanan end 8 rY a notioe on per

t tbi time I ~ a as that ~ate with County InspeotorCoI'bett at Control, Viotoria, par telephone. On retum1ng to the Railway StaUon Waterside Polie Station, I .. th t shale of' the Citizens Aotion C itt had up po ition alang tho atra t and that the 15 Comi tto. en era torm up in thr a in Duke tr t. It w ttl 2.55 P • I rema1ned in tho vicinity of tb1 pare.d tend · 'p.m. appro ehed I heard)(r. He, one of th marohe. , birty seconds to go. It He lOoking at hi wa toll. The parade ved of't t 3 p. • and marshals tom. in beh1nd it. . hr t er dn>ve in b th1 gl'OuP, and Counv I P ctor err I tollow in D.Lt.P. oar. I did not see ajor Bunting leave the R lway foreoouri, but 1 under tand h and a por1;y

of left th t tion shortJ..y botor ;} p.m. and tr voll ond Hill.

alkar Stroet

anne" "

© PRONI HA/3212126

© PRONI HA/32/2/26

of tro

< ardB. hor •

1

na

by e Civil

b

in the

on. M

i t

© PRONI HA/32/2/26

nt of Distriot In peetor E. Wood, .U. C. l' ng pa d 'b7 er~l Citizen etion C . ittee in Londonderry on 2.11. 68.

On2n

jor Ro lei "loTal C1tiz It

ty of polio age of the propoo

ti tb pri av r in the of Ulster" pas d long the

confusion.

'l'hro out t confusion at the jor Bunting' 8 party sang DC 111' and houted the odd lUieal expre ion but I t they never ov and with th police bet e the an the 0 po lng cro there

no p~ i 1 cont ot bet en the two. or on the other band did the 1 e row. ppori ing the roee8sioni t ~ atte pt that I could to t t ack the ting • l' had be n no ec a1ty for tb It hie

/had

© PRONI HA/3212126

© PRONI HA/32/2/26

SubJeots- Riyal arch. in Londonderry on 2/11/68.

District peotar,

Guildhall 0

:in this t·n ,..-

Shortly after th1 , I

At is 8

~ -,J

aeYeD Serge ts wi the

© PRONI HA/32/2/26

:- C viI C

© PRONI HA/32/2/26

DISTRICT I PECTOR'S OFFICE

- 4 ! \968

REF. No ....... .................... ••••• R.U.c. RE .. RYE FORCE

I

•

© PRONI HA/32/2/26

saw t 0 f1 B 8

t eth X' with

wer or er • .ruB'

,

Hal' to the on number of Union J

t ~m. ~nd was p ... actio

t . ~ quit obvicll fran the out lt th t thl) Civil Right.. ch rs r not out for trouble with ither the polio er th61r co nt ~

d on·tratora nd both ides r fully pr pared to 0 e1 po jc direot ion .ith t ue t1on. T er ere a rew scuffle but th l' er 0 t e

and shoving yp. C rt inly I &w no blows bing truok. Th re clutely ;}O h tilit ~o' rds the police I h va ne r B en a

ero b tter ann ~ed and this applied tc both idss.

Th Civil o ov ith the arch rs w very noticeable h t th re ~e" alo the route.

re compos r very

.1.

© PRONI HA/32/2/26

SUBJECT:- Duty in lDndonderry on Saturday, 2nd. NOVEIlBER, 1968, in oonne tion with arch by Citizens Aotion Committet and proposed march by the lDyal Citiz ns of Ulstero

District Inspeotor's Ottioe, Royal Ulster Constabulary,

MAGHERAFELT, 3rd. NOVEMBER, 1968.

D1 triot Inspector, LONDONDERRY.

Transmitted.

I have to report that I p rtormed duty in L:mdon erry on 2nd. NOVEKBER, 1968, in oonnection with the abov maroh and proposed countet-arch. The otor for which I waa responsible waa ter ide area gener 11y and

in partioular the Duke Street area in vicinity of the L.M.S. Railway Station where both proposed arabe. were planned to co ncto I was accompanied by Head Constable ROBl SO , Victoria, together with other Polica.

I took up duty in that area at 2.25p.m. Upon arrival I noted a oream coloured oar driven by a man Iat r identified to me as Kajor BUNTI G, Dundonald. The vehiole w s parked in ths fore-court of tho Railwqy Station, was bedecked with 0 Union II ga and was fitted to the rear with hat appeared to be an amplifier. There were a numb r of ladiea, about eight, st nding in the vicinity and a numb r ot ales the ajority of who ere carrying oameras of varying sorts. The group of ladies commenced to and continu d singing hymns but oonstant passing traffic reduced audibility oonsiderably. On the opposite side to the L.M •• about 150 persons, ale and temale, lined the edge of the tootpath. At 2.3Op.m. Vajor BUNTING addressed the assembly stating that an announce ent would be made at 2.i5p •••

At approximately 2.4Qp.m. the fitteen memb rs destined to form the arching Citizens Aotion Committee arrived accompanied by ~pprox1mately 30 'lr$halls. The latter wore white cloth armbands. This ground formed up in Duke Street on th City side ot th L •• S. Station and on the oft-side ot the oarriageway facing tow rds Craigavon Bridge.

At 2.45p.m., ajor BUNTING address d the persons assembled. He informed them that a marcn was being held by a group of 'Rebel 'J that a lQareh had been planned and arranged by the ''Loyal Ci tizena ot Ulster' but notioe had b8en served by the Police prohibiting the march from commenoing until 'p.m. H then read i'rom the notioe served and med to read th notice in its entiri ty Then he said thbl 'wyal Citizens of Ulster' were 1a -abiding and would abide by the direotion given. He informed the ssembly that they had two choices:-(1) to go ahead now to 'err.yquay Gate wher a 'teach-in' would be held or, (2) fall in and reh behind the 'Rebels'. He said also that the JDyal Citizens of Ulst~r would not allow any 'Pl card-carrying Reb Is' to pass through the Gates of 'Derry. He announced then that he intend d going to erryquay Gate in his oar and would ee th m there. This is all I can relate of what Kajor BUNTING said. Alahough he spoke for some fiv minutes, the inferior quality ot the amplifier coupled with the noise of constant~ passing traffic prevented me hearing further detail even though I was standing conveneint to the persons assembled.

, assembled. I then nt to wh re

No placard -wer oarried. the Citiz ns Aotion Committet had

At 3p.m. th prooession moved off/

aocompanied by

© PRONI HA/32/2/26

accompanied by th marshalls but exoept for occ8sio a1 nneers from bystanders there was no other reaction. As arr Bed, throe Personnel Carriers follow d immediately to the r ar of the proo ssion. Immediate13 aftar this procession moved off 1 returned to the L. .S. R ilway Station area and noted that Major BUNTI a.t~ CElr h d 1 t. s it had be n e>..-peoted he intended taking the same route s th~ Citizens Action Committee march rs I enqui d from th~ Polioe driver (Const. A. acauley) the direction be had tak and lean13d he had driven off about five minute previousl via ~ orthodox traf~ic rout , i. 0, Duk 3tr et/ Spencer Road. A message to this trect was reI ye than to Control.

No incidents or difficulties arose at th assembly point in terside or alOltg t ro to to Craig von Bridge . ilst 1 c mot s y what grou~ tbe majority of the by ta~ddrs supported, ~le g ner 1 attitude su mad friendly and no un,Pl a an tn s evincud i self.

re vi Control. assisted

After thc procession had left the ~aterside I moved to the Diamond Aber om Ro d and is op treet u on ~~e instructions of C.l. Corb tt,

There I fioined District Inspector c,ANDR and otherl offic 1"8 nd in kecp~ g to two riv 1 factions apart until their dispersal.

istrict I~spector.

© PRONI HA/32/2/26

Subject: Civil Rights march at Londonderr y on 2nd November, 1968.

County Ins pector, Londonderry. , No, · · c: . "Li .... 'VAD'l"

I have to report that7 in oonnection with the above I was on duty at Carlisle Square with a party of 1 H.C. 5 Sgts. and 22 Consts.

There were a number of pectators in the Tioinity and before the procession approaohed a crowd of seTeral hundred had assembled - mainly in the ar a from Aberoorn Road to John St. This crowd was mainly Loyalist consisting of m n, wom n and young teenagers.

s the procession of CiTil Rights marchers approached the spectators at the Aberoorn Road junction oved forward and lin d the edge of the route.' number of stewards who were positioned in the vicinity formed a chain along the side of the route at the Aberoorn road junction.

There was some cheering, jeering and barracking as the procession passed by. .L 0 or three Union Jacks appeared fran the byestanders and I saw one being thl~st forward between the stewards and in the direction of the procession.

When the procession passed, the majority of the spectators followed up Carlisle Road. Union Jacks were still being displayed and there was some chanting and shouting.

Some time later a party of about thirty youths -boys and girls - came down Carlisle Road in procession form, and carrying a Union Jaok,. Th y went up Abercorn Road towards the fountain. SOJt.e half hour l ater about ten of the same youths again came down Carlisle Road and cross d Craigavon bridge. They were still carrying the flag. They were orderly.

1 ?J0;~ I1strict Inspector.

. ,-

,

•

I

•

•

t

. ,

• • • • • •••• • •••• •

nt:nr~'E'1btlr, 1 I! •

© PRONI HA/3212126

© PRONI HA/3212126