On 5 October 1968, Gerry Fitt - now the leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party the Royal Ulster Constabulary as he stood at the head of a massive civil rights march in Derry. to hospital, and the RUC invaded the nationalist Bogside. From the events of that day dates the present resistance campaign of the anti-Unionist population of the Six Seven years on, on 5 October 1975, the same Gerty Filt could be found calling on the anti-Unionist popula tion to give their co-operation to the so-called security forces - including the very same RUC which batoned him and hundreds more civil rights demonstrators.
JOHN MAGEE reports from Belfast was batoned by Mr Fitt was taken being in league with the Loyalist murder gangs. This really offended Gerry, who complained that the walk-out was unparliamentary behaviour and discourteous to the SDLP.
In Fitt's West Belfast constituency, however, the people had much more serious things to concern them than Gerry's Convention anties. In two incidents the Ulster Volunteer Force killed three people and injured another ten in bomb and bullet attacks. sion at the Bush Bar in Leeson Street, in the heart of the nationalist Falls Road area. flooded with British Army patrols, stopping and searching cars and pedestrians. was nowhere to be seen.
munity. important thing.
Nine of these were injured in an exploThe Falls district is normally together.
But last Thursday the British Army end the truce. Interview with MAIRE DRUMM, Vice-President of the Provisional Sinn Fein What are the benefits of the truce? I'm glad you called it a truce, not a ceasefire, since it is an agreement between two opposing armies, an interim period until a permanent solution. You can't see anything for it at this stage...a lot of sectarian assassinations have been carried out against the Catholic comBefore this the Republicar Army was the front line between them and these assassins; but there is a time -in all wars when opposing factions have to talk, and that time seemed ripe.
A lot or peopie were under ine impre ssion that the Republican Army called a ceasefire because they were beaten. This is untrue. They were tar from be ing beaten. The aim of the truce is to bring about a political - a permanent -Can you outline the conditions for a permanent truce?
First a declaration of intent bv the Brit ish Army to get out of this country. Not only the British Army. Some people seem to think that it only we get the soldiers out thats going to De peace Its not we want ine brusn doministra tion out of this country lock, stock and barre tor a ume nat is ne most Second, we want an amnesty for all political prisoners - and in that we would include Loyalist prisoners. Thirdly, we demand the right of the Irish people to decide their own destiny, their own fut ure, te type or government tney want, without Heath sticking his teeth, Thatcher her hairdo or Wilson sticking his pipe into it. We decide ourselves. The Loyalists and Protestants have as much right to Decice. me vole lot oF us musE conE Under what conditions could the truce break down?
I can only suggest what could possibly Divis Flats, the murder of a 10-year-old child with a rubber bullet in his face -these just within the last month. If the neousican forces were or wei dne truly disciplined, there would probably have been a bloodbath The thing that would finally end the truce would be if the British said we never nave anv intention or cerune out we are here for all eternity.
What is the attitude of the Provisionals to the Loyalists?
We would emphasise that the war all along has been with the British administration and its satellites. It has not - been with Lovalists, nor with Protes tants. And Republicans do not carry out sectarian assassinations. No man has has ever been executed by the Republican movement because he was a Protestant, or because ne was a Loyals!
There's been a big rise in the number oT assassinations generaly, and you may read in the papers that there have heen 100 assassinations - 60 Catholics, 40 Protestants - but when you go through these 40 Protestants you find that a large number or tem were the resun of internal strife between the UDA and the UVF, some of them were shot by the British while planting bombs, and some were blown up by their own bomb - as in the case of the miami snowoand The Republican movement is completely ossesea to sectananisin. ana woule stoo peopie i nev mount inev were going to assassinate Protestants. This is provided the Protestant was not a British soldier or RUC man. Security forces are a different thing altogether.
A Protestant was unfortunately sho along the Falls Road - Samuel Llewellyn - but we disapprove of it completely, and we would point out that this case was blown out of all proportion. While - tHere were nunurees or aulones assass inated, there wasn't this hue and cry, we didn't have the people lined up along the road, we didn't have them collecting for a monument for the lad. the trial. Some 50,000 people are now in possession of a copy of the leaflet as a result or tus An open letter adoressca to the At torney General demanding that the charges be dropped has been sent from the USA. siened by 39 people. including Noam Chomsky, Benjamin Spock, Allen Ginsberg, Phil Berrigan and Ramsey Clark There have also been various pickets of embassies etc. in Germany, France, Denmark, Belgium, Holland, Sweden, USA and Hawii.
EVIDENCE
The trial was continuing this week with prosecution witnesses giving evidence The court is being picketed and support for the picket is particularly requested all day Mondavs and at lunchtime or other davs. For information olease tele