area?
In August 1969 we had approximately 50 families burnt out - left completely troubles Over 60 people from the district have been killed. The number injured from Irom the Bruis goes well up into tne nut dreds. Probably 1,000 people have been injured or suffered hardship of one form or another - just in the Ardoyne.
•What do people feel about the British Army?
Constabulary and the B Specials, all Protestant, against us, it's no wonder people clamoured for the Brits. But when they took up their positions across the divide, their guns pointed into the Ardoyne. it was seen then that they were under the Unionists control ISIS. flict with the minority, and the hate they engenderca ica to vicious noung by neu Below we print an interview with a member of the Relief Committee in the Ardoyne area of Belfast. This is a solidly Catholic area of about 2,000 families, totally surrounded by Loyalist •What are conditions like in the minority people.
ily has been affected in some way by the Some have been forced out of work because their work was in dangerous areas.
Loyalist bomb blasts and rubber bullets up their harassment. At first they were accepted. Realising we had the military might of the Roval Ulster Things went peacefully for a few months, but this didn't seem to suit the UnionThey engineered the troops into conto provoke our people. It led to serious rioting. The troops openly sided with the Stormont crowd and clobbered the •How has the truce affected things? Before the truce the media were trying to persuade tne peopie that taey were wal weary. Psychologically the people began to accept it. When the truce came people breathed a sigh of relief. If the truce had been kept on both sides it could have had a great effect. But the British Army kept •What have the troops been doing during the truce?
conunuously raiding nouses. we nad a family made homeless by fire, for instance We decided to fix up this house. We were in the process of fixing it when the Brits walked in and wrecked that house.
Quite a few other houses have come In for tnis treatment aunng the truce The soldiers make provocative remarks and gestures from the jeeps. They're ance ror worence and mey want some sort of release for their training.
• What happened during the Ulster Workers' Council strike?
The Loyalists tried to wreck the minority districts, by cutting off all public services (gas and electricity). With no whole salers or large suppers un te arca, wo nad to go as rat as ine sourn to couce to run UDA road blocks. We were run ning trips night and day Fortunately the strike only lasted a couple of weeks. We supplied bread to the district, milk when we could get it. We brought in turt, coal for the OAPs, and we had open fires going on the street corners to save fuel for cooking facilities. It really raised the morale of the people that they could organise the whole area • Do you believe that there will be a civil war if the troops are withdrawn?
Well, it depends what you call civil war The situation now is that ine brits gun are trained on the district, there are 60 dead, and homes are burnt out by the Loyalists still. You might call the last five years in Northern Ireland civil war.
• But if the Loyalists were really beginning to attack the Ardoyne, what do you think the Army would do?
Well, that has happened before. What happens is that once the Army has heard about ten shots coming trom the Loyalists and one shot back, they move in on us and start raiding houses, sealing off houses.
When we call for British troops to be withdrawn from Ireland now. it is becaus the troops can do no good for the Irish people as a whole. They make the prospect of more deaths due to their actions and to se colanan KillIngs ov Inc Loals.
RTMENT OF HEALIN SOCIAL SECURITY Photo: CHRIS DAV NUPE •COHSE red weekly 24 july 1975 news