Things may have 'slightly' changed nowadays but those bigots still beat their drums as they parade through areas spouting their sectarianism. Just yesterday the unionist gangs threatened John Finucane as he thought he could safely go in and sort out a local dispute over a rat-infested rubbish dump. In recent years we've seen those same gangsters being feted by members of the same party John Finucane belongs to.
On Saturday 8th July 1972, serious confrontations broke out in Portadown as unionist gangs attempted to attack local nationalist homes in the Obins Street area with stones, bottles and petrol bombs. As the confrontations increased in severity, shots were exchanged between unionists and local republicans.
Earlier, that same day, local Cumann na mBan Óglach Julie Dougan had died as a result of a car accident while on active service in the Obins Street area.
RUC and British Army units (which included the Paras) attempted to quell the nationalist crowds in Obins Street using rubber bullets, water cannon and CS gas. There were several further exchanges of gunfire between Brit forces and republicans.
The trouble continued well into the early hours of Sunday morning and only subsided when large numbers of RUC and British troops flooded into the area. With the area virtually under curfew-like conditions, RUC and Brit forces carried out raids on around 20 homes and refused to allow anyone to leave the area for any reason.
The Brits removed the barricades, and with the entire totally locked-down, the way was open for the Orange Order to parade through Obins Street on Sunday 9th July on their way to Drumcree.
However, just before the Orange march took place, the RUC and Brits then permitted 150 masked and uniformed members of the UDA to parade into Obins Street and line up along both sides of the street to form a "guard of honour" for the Orangemen. After the Orangemen passed by, the UDA continent then formed up behind the Orangemen and marched with them to Drumcree. They also later accompanied the Orange Order as they paraded along the Garvaghy Road.
In the book Freedom Struggle, it was acknowledged by the IRA that actions by the RUC/British army and loyalists had effectively broken the 1972 ceasefire which would totally disintegrate completely a few hours later in the Lenadoon area of Belfast.
On Saturday 8th July 1972, serious confrontations broke out in Portadown as unionist gangs attempted to attack local nationalist homes in the Obins Street area with stones, bottles and petrol bombs. As the confrontations increased in severity, shots were exchanged between unionists and local republicans.
Earlier, that same day, local Cumann na mBan Óglach Julie Dougan had died as a result of a car accident while on active service in the Obins Street area.
RUC and British Army units (which included the Paras) attempted to quell the nationalist crowds in Obins Street using rubber bullets, water cannon and CS gas. There were several further exchanges of gunfire between Brit forces and republicans.
The trouble continued well into the early hours of Sunday morning and only subsided when large numbers of RUC and British troops flooded into the area. With the area virtually under curfew-like conditions, RUC and Brit forces carried out raids on around 20 homes and refused to allow anyone to leave the area for any reason.
The Brits removed the barricades, and with the entire totally locked-down, the way was open for the Orange Order to parade through Obins Street on Sunday 9th July on their way to Drumcree.
However, just before the Orange march took place, the RUC and Brits then permitted 150 masked and uniformed members of the UDA to parade into Obins Street and line up along both sides of the street to form a "guard of honour" for the Orangemen. After the Orangemen passed by, the UDA continent then formed up behind the Orangemen and marched with them to Drumcree. They also later accompanied the Orange Order as they paraded along the Garvaghy Road.
In the book Freedom Struggle, it was acknowledged by the IRA that actions by the RUC/British army and loyalists had effectively broken the 1972 ceasefire which would totally disintegrate completely a few hours later in the Lenadoon area of Belfast.
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| Padraic Mac Coitir is a former republican prisoner and current political activist. |
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