Civil Rights Movement

The Northern Ireland Civil Rights Movement began in the early 1960s.

The movement came around under the leadership of women like Patricia McCluskey and the Homeless Citizens’ League (est. 1963), the Campaign for Social Justice (est. 1964), the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association (est. 1967) and the Derry Housing Action Committee (est. 1967).

These groups were formed to challenge the inequality that the minority Catholic population faced at the hands of the Unionist government and local authorities.

Several reforms were demanded such as universal franchise for local government elections, the removal of the B-Specials, and an end to gerrymandering and the perceived discrimination in the allocation of public sector housing.

Civil disobedience, marches and rallies followed, sparking the Civil Rights March in Derry on 5 October 1968, which was disrupted when the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) baton-charged the demonstrators, injuring many.

The incidents received worldwide coverage and days of riots followed. Some consider this to be the start of the Troubles.

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