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From Socialist Worker, No. 110, 22 February 1969, p. 1.
Transcribed & marked up by Einde O’ Callaghan for the Encyclopaedia of Trotskyism On-Line (ETOL).
THE CIVIL RIGHTS Campaign in Northern Ireland which sparked off the present crisis inside the ruling Unionist Party here took the stage again last Sunday.
More than 100 delegates from many parts of the province gathered in Belfast or the annual meeting of one of the three main organisations in the movement, the Civil Rights Association.
One proposal made was that when the new Public Order Act is passed, Civil Rights meetings should be held at all major centres throughout the province, with a mass demonstration in Belfast, possibly with supporters marching in from outlying districts.
A committee of 14 was elected with three new members, Michael Farrell, and Kevin Boyle of Peoples Democracy, the militant student group and Vincent McDowell, a leading Left-wing member of the Labour Party. Michael Farrell is the Peoples Democracy candidate for Bannside, where he is challenging Prime Minister O’Neill.
A series of resolutions were passed which called for a study in depth by the executive of a campaign of mass civil disobedience. Another resolution called for the demand of ‘one man, one job’ and ‘one family, one house’ to be given equal value to the demands of ‘one man, one vote’.
IN DERRY, an ad-hoc group has been formed called ‘Save the Civil Rights’ campaign’ and is collecting signatures on a petition calling for the resignation of John Hume and Ivan Cooper from the Derry citizens Action Committee.
Cooper, chairman and Hume, vice chairman of the committee are contesting seats as independents in the election.
Hume has split the vote for Eamonn McCann who is standing as a Labour candidate against the leader of the Green Tories, Eddie McAteer. Hume and Cooper both say they are not using the movement for their own ends. Both opposed the march from Belfast to Derry, both supported the truce with O’Neill.
Last updated: 15 January 2021