1997 nationalist riots in Northern Ireland

1997 Nationalist riots in Northern Ireland Part of The Troubles "Drumcree, The Garvaghy Road July 1997" by David Rowlands Date 6–11 July 1997 Location Irish nationalist districts of Northern Ireland Result Several Orange Order parades re-routed or canceled[1][2][3][4] Belligerents Irish nationalist rioters Provisional Irish Republican Army Irish National Liberation Army Royal Ulster Constabulary British Army Commanders and leaders Kevin McKenna (IRA)[5] Ronnie Flanagan (RUC) Rupert Smith (BA) Casualties and losses 1 civilian killed[6] over 100 people injured,[2] 117 arrested[2] 62 officers injured,[2] at least 3 soldiers injured, some armored vehicles badly damaged or destroyed[7] One loyalist paramilitary was killed by a pipe bomb he was handling in an indirectly related incident

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From 6 July to 11 July 1997 there was a series of mass protests, fierce riots and gun battles in Irish nationalist districts of Northern Ireland. Irish nationalists and republicans, in some cases supported by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA), attacked the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) and British Army. The protests and violence were a reaction to the Drumcree parading dispute. It was sparked by the decision of Mo Mowlam, then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, to allow the Orange Order to march through the nationalist district of Portadown, County Armagh. Nationalists were outraged at the decision and by the RUC's aggressive removal of nationalist protesters who had been blocking the march.

It was the last spell of widespread violence in Northern Ireland before the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in April 1998. The RUC and British Army were forced to withdraw entirely from some nationalist areas of Belfast. The IRA's involvement in the clashes was its last major action during its 27-year campaign. It declared its last ceasefire on 19 July.

Background

Since 1985, when a nationalist sit-down protest on Obins Street was forcefully removed by the RUC, tensions between the two communities had been growing in Portadown. The Public Order (Northern Ireland) Order 1987 removed the special status of 'traditional' parades, effectively banning parades from Obins Street indefinitely.^[8] The less populated Garvaghy Road was, however, kept open for the Orange Order.^[9] After almost ten years of relative calm, by 1995 nationalist residents formed the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition (GRRC), led by Jesuit priest Eamon Stack. Another prominent member at that time was Brendan McKenna.^[10] McKenna had been convicted for his involvement in a Provisional IRA bomb attack on Portadown's Royal British Legion hall in 1981. He would became the coalition spokesman in the aftermath of the 1997 clashes.^[11] The conflict escalated in July 1995, when after a three-day standoff the nationalist residents cleared the road peacefully.^[12] Five members of the coalition, among them Stack and McKenna, were charged with obstructing the highway. The charges were dropped in June 1996.^[10] In July 1996 the parade was banned by the Chief Constable, but on 11 July he was forced to review the decision after a series of clashes between loyalist and the security forces, which included the assassination of a Catholic taxi-driver by the UVF. The decision ultimately led to major riots in nationalist areas of Lurgan, Armagh, Belfast and Derry, where one civilian was crushed to death by a British Army vehicle.^[13]

July 1997 Drumcree parade

Drumcree Church near Portadown

As early as 18 June 1997 Alastair Graham, the Parades Commission chairman, warned after the killings of two RUC officers in Lurgan that the IRA was seeking to rise tensions up to 6 July in order to make impossible a compromise over Drumcree.^[14] In the meantime, Mo Mowlam held separate meetings with representatives of the Orange Order and members of the GRRC. The attempts to defuse the potential crisis took place at a time when the political focus was put on the removal of the decommissioning of paramilitary weapons as a precondition for open talks with Sinn Féin in a multi-party negotiation. After a public address of Martin McGuinness, then Vice-President of Sinn Féin, calling for dropping the demand, both governments agreed to appoint a sub-committee to deal with the matter and eventually announced that Sinn Féin could enter could enter the talks at Stormont when they resumed on 15 September 1997, given the IRA declaration of an unequivocal ceasefire and a probation period of six-week.^[15]

On 1 July, the coalition of residents announced a street festival for 6 July, later banned by the RUC. The same day, Mo Mowlam and Taioseach Bertie Ahern met in Belfast. Ahern stressed that any unilateral decision allowing the march on Garvaghy road would be 'a mistake'. Ahern repeated his opinion during a meeting with British First Minister Tony Blair on 3 July. The RUC and the Northern Ireland Office replied that they would made public their decision only two or three days in advance. Earlier, Mo Mowlam had stated that any decision would be released at least six days before the march. As the parade day approached, thousands of people left Northern Ireland in anticipation of violence and clashes like those experienced in 1996.^[2]

At 3:00 AM of 6 July, 1,500 members of the RUC and the British Army^[16] with 100 armoured cars^[17] entered Garvaghy road in order to force the parade. By 3:55, after a brief clash with the protesters, three lines of policemen and troops were deployed around the street, two lines of vehicles on Garvaghy road and a third line of soldiers and RUC members on Ashgrove road.^[18] Some RUC constables claimed that the residents taunted them with comments about the deaths of their two colleges at Lurgan in June while shouting 'Up the RA'.^[19] There are allegations that Rosemary Nelson, a solicitor of the resident's Coalition since 1995, was verbally and physically abused by the RUC. The last residents remaining on the road were removed by 6:33.^[1] Ronnie Flanagan, then Chief Constable of the RUC, stated that the decision was taken in order to avoid loyalist violence.^[2]

Violent reaction in Nationalist areas

Sunday 6 July

Violence erupted across Northern Ireland as news from Portadown reached nationalist areas.^[1] Unionist politicians accused the IRA of starting the riots.^[20] Republican sources admitted that the IRA was openly involved in the unrest;^[21] unlike in 1996, when it had restrained itself from retaliation.^[22]

The IRA claimed a number of actions in response to the Drumcree crisis. During the weekend alone, the IRA carried out at least nine attacks on British troops.^[20] One of the first attacks took place in Coalisland, where the IRA's East Tyrone Brigade launched a gun attack on an RUC armored vehicle besides the local Army/RUC barracks; a female officer from Portadown was badly wounded.^[21] Some sources fixed the date of the attack on 5 July.^[20]

Belfast

In Belfast, a lone IRA member with an AK-47 opened-fire on an RUC checkpoint at Lower Ormeau Road. Five rounds hit an APC that was parked on the Ormeau Bridge. The attack was recorded by a BBC television crew.^[21] Later that evening, shots were fired at an armored patrol on Newtownards Road, a bomb was thrown at an RUC base in North Belfast,^[23] and in South Belfast, an IRA unit prevented a riot squad from entering the Markets area after firing 20 rounds at them.^[21] That night, several British Army patrols were harassed by gunfire in North Belfast.^[20] An armored vehicle was set on fire at Brompton Park in Ardoyne, according to republican sources. Another one was burnt-out on Antrim Road. Late that evening in the Oldpark area, an RUC landrover became stuck in a barricade made of iron pilings and its crew had to flee when it was attacked with petrol bombs.^[7] Rioters using petrol bombs in Short Strand forced the RUC to close an access road to the M3 motorway.^[23]

On Sunday evening, a 14-year-old boy and 13-year-old girl were shot by RUC plastic bullets in the Lenadoon area of West Belfast.^[24] The boy was struck in the head and spent three days in a coma.^[2] The girl was walking along Stewartstown Road with friends when she was struck in the face.^[24] According to An Phoblacht, there was no rioting at the time and the RUC had "opened fire on groups of young people returning home from a disco".^[24]

On Sunday night, there was violence at the interface on Lanark Way which links the loyalist Shankill Road and the republican Springfield Road. Stones, bricks and bottles were hurled across the peace line. An Phoblacht reported that warning shots were fired from the nationalist side.^[25]

Another 24 people were admitted to Belfast's City Hospital and Royal Victoria Hospital.^[20]

Butcher Gate, scene of the violence in Derry

Derry

On Sunday evening in Derry, thousands of people joined a protest march from the Bogside to the RUC base of Strand Road.^[26] Martin McGuinness addressed the crowd, calling on nationalists elsewhere to take to the streets to demand "justice and equality" and "stand up for their rights".^[23] Although the protesters returned to the Bogside peacefully,^[26] there was violence in the city center.

At Butcher Gate, there were clashes between nationalist youths and the RUC. It is claimed that the RUC fired "upwards of 1,000 plastic bullets", many of them fired "indiscriminately" and aimed "above the waist, in direct contravention of the rules governing the use of such lethal weapons".^[27] A 16-year-old boy suffered "a fractured skull, a broken jaw, and shattered facial bones amongst other injuries" after allegedly being beaten by RUC officers. He was on life support for some time afterwards.^[27] An eyewitness described seeing one man, allegedly an onlooker, being shot in the face: "The side of his face was completely torn away, and he seemed to just slump to the ground".^[27] Several others suffered serious head injuries. Nine were admitted to Altnagelvin Hospital with plastic bullet injuries. At least 30 others sought treatment at first aid houses or at Letterkenny Hospital across the border. Downtown Derry was sealed off by the RUC and the British Army, exception made of the accesses via Shipquay and Ferryquay Gates.^[27]

In Newry and elsewhere, protesters carried banners bearing the slogan Disband the RUC

Newry

In Newry, 3,000 joined a protest march to the Ardmore RUC base, where a rally was held. People marched behind banners saying "Disband the RUC" and "Dismantle the Orange State".^[28]

County Tyrone

Besides the shooting of an RUC armoured vehicle in Coalisland, mentioned above,^[21] an Orange Order hall was set on fire in Dungannon, while nationalist residents forced their way through the RUC lines to stop an Orangemen parade in Pomeroy.^[29]

Armagh city

In Armagh, hundreds attended a protest rally at The Shambles.^[30] Later, the RUC and British Army set-up roadblocks on entrances to the town center and nationalist youths hijacked a number of vehicles. There were clashes between nationalists and the RUC on English Street; two youths were injured by plastic bullets.^[7] Just before midnight, there was a shootout between two IRA members and the RUC at a roadblock. The same roadblock was later petrol-bombed as violence continued into the night.^[21]

Lurgan

In Lurgan, nine masked IRA members boarded a train, forced the passengers out and set it on fire, destroying five carriages.^[21]

Monday 7 July

By 7 July there were over 100 people injured, six of them in serious condition. The RUC stated that there had been 1,600 plastic bullets fired, 550 attacks on the security forces, and 41 people arrested. The fire service had received 500 calls and the ambulance service 150, while the damage to property was estimated at £20 million.^[2]

Belfast

Shortly after midnight, a 25-year-old woman suffered a fractured bone after being shot in the leg by a live round fired from New Barnsley RUC base.^[24] At the Larnak Way interface, West Belfast, loyalists tried to enter the nationalist area at 3:00 a.m. and a 14-year-old Protestant boy was shot in the shoulder.^[25] One source reported that the teenager was wounded when an IRA unit launched a gun and grenade attack on a military base near the interface.^[20] Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) gunmen also opened fire on British soldiers in the Ardoyne area of North Belfast.^[31]

In the Dunmurry area of Belfast, a member of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) was killed when the pipe bomb he was handling exploded prematurely.^[2][32] The incident happened at an arms dump in a remote area. Later that night, members of the UDA and Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) held a joint "show of strength" in North Belfast.^[2] Masked men armed with assault rifles and machine guns were filmed patrolling in Woodvale, saying they were there to protect Protestants.^[32] Members of the Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) held a similar "show of strength" on Tuesday night.^[32]

A 39-year-old American citizen, John Hemsworth, was beaten with a baton by an RUC squadron on his way home from the Upper Falls area. He was stopped in Malcomson Street where he was assaulted and verbally abused by the officers. There were no riots or protests in the area at the time. Hemsworth suffered a broken jaw and other injuries, and was admitted to hospital. He was discharged, but on 27 December he was re-admitted and died from a massive stroke on 1 January 1998. Fourteen years later, an inquest found that he had died as result of the injures received during the RUC beating.^[6][33]

There were clashes during an Orange march in the village of Bellaghy, County Londonderry

Bellaghy

In the mainly-nationalist village of Bellaghy, County Londonderry, residents mounted a peaceful protest against the yearly Orange march. There were scuffles as RUC and British Army moved the protesters away from the parade route. Martin McGuinness was struck in the head with a baton while giving an interview nearby.^[34]

Elsewhere

In Strabane, 250 petrol bombs were thrown at RUC officers, who in return fired plastic bullets at the crowd.^[17]

Newry was declared "impassable" by the Automobile Association.^[2] A shopping center in the town was looted by what republican sources called "a gang responsible for a long series of anti-social activities and intimidation". The IRA reportedly injured two of the gangmembers in a punishment shooting on 13 July.^[35]

Buildings were set on fire in downtown Derry and a number of vehicles were hijacked.^[2] An Orange Order hall was set on fire at Newtownhamilton in south County Armagh.^[31] Four other halls suffered the same fate in Cookstown, Beragh, Sixmilecross and Ballycastle.^[36]

Tuesday 8 July

On 8 July, a document was leaked to the press which hinted that Mo Mowlan had decided in June to allow the Drumcree march to proceed. This caused further outrage among nationalists. That day, residents announced that they would block the Orange Order's 12th July parades in Armagh, Newry, Bellaghy, Lower Ormeau Road (Belfast), Derry and Strabane.^[2]

An RUC source confirmed that the IRA had carried out more than a dozen gun and grenade attacks since 6 July, while 250 vehicles had been burnt.^[37] The Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) threatened to attack Orangemen whom it considered responsible for forcing parades through Nationalist neighborhoods.^[2]

Belfast

The IRA's Belfast Brigade claimed that dozens of its members were involved in operations against the security forces in West and North Belfast since Sunday. On Crumlin Road, there was a shootout between IRA members and an RUC mobile patrol, without casualties from either side. Some time later, a rocket attack took place on Hallidays Road, in the New Lodge area. Also on Crumlin Road, an IRA volunteer fired 15 shots at a British soldier who was engaging protesters with plastic bullets. According to a republican report, this action was recorded by an independent television crew. A single shot was fired at an RUC officer on Alliance Avenue and several minutes later there was another gunfight between the IRA and RUC on Oldpark Road. In the Ardoyne area of North Belfast, the IRA allegedly shot two loyalist men who were throwing petrol bombs at nationalist homes. New Barnsley RUC base in West Belfast was the target of a gun and grenade attack, while an Army base at the end of Lenadoon Avenue suffered a similar assault, with 15 shots fired and an improvised grenade thrown at it. On Falls Road, 20 rounds were fired at a British security checkpoint. Although there was return fire, all the IRA members made good their escape.^[21] According to independent sources, IRA members fired at British soldiers and RUC officers who were trying to remove barricades in North Belfast in the early hours of Tuesday, forcing them to retreat. No injuries were reported. Meanwhile, in West Belfast, petrol bombs were thrown at RUC vehicles. A passing 11-year-boy suffered severe burns when he was accidentally hit by one of the bombs.^[38] The Protestant estate at Suffolk was attacked from Lenadoon. Several cars were burned.^[39] Scattered riots continued throughout the day and the outbound lanes of a highway were blocked by hijacked cars.^[40]

Elsewhere

About 100 rioters clashed with the RUC in Bellaghy and the Orange hall was hit by a number of petrol-bombs.^[37] Another three Orange Order halls were burnt in Portadown, Dunloy and Moy.^[17][36]

During disturbances in Portadown on Tuesday morning, an RUC officer was shot in the arm and leg near Garvaghy Road.^[21] In Newry, British government buildings were set on fire and a train was partially burnt-out at the railway station.^[21]

On Tuesday evening, protesters held a "white line picket" in The Shambles area of Armagh. A crowd of several hundred surged up English Street and were blocked by a line of RUC landrovers. The picket lasted an hour and was concluded when Sinn Féin councillor Noel Sheridan addressed the crowd, urging them to attend further protests during the week.^[30]

Wednesday 9 July

On 9 July, the British Government sent in 400 soldiers of the Staffordshire Regiment to reinforce the 30,000 troops and RUC members already deployed in Northern Ireland.^[16] A landmine was planted by the IRA near Dungannon,^[41] where several vehicles were burnt,^[16] while shots were fired in Strabane and a rifle recovered at Short Strand in Belfast.^[41] A number of false bomb threats threw traffic into chaos.^[16] In Carrickmore, County Tyrone, yet another Orange hall was set on fire.^[36] In Lurgan's Kilwilkie estate, RUC and Royal Irish Regiment troops tried to clear residents from their homes after claiming there was a bomb near the railway line. When a man was allegedly assaulted by the troops, about 150 people gathered to confront them. RUC officers threatened to fire plastic bullets at the gathering crowd before the bulk of the forces agreed to leave the area. Residents accused the security forces of verbal abuse.^[42] At the same time, two young sisters were hospitalized after allegedly being beaten by RUC officers in the Drumbeg area of Craigavon, County Armagh. The alleged assault happened after the officers spotted one of the girls filming them while they were beating a young boy.^[43] Since Tuesday, the RUC recorded 76 people arrested, 900 plastic bullets fired and 265 attacks on the security forces.^[2]

In West Belfast, a car bomb exploded outside shops on the Andersonstown Road. The car had been left by three men wearing dark glasses and carrying walkie-talkies. Sinn Féin members helped clear the area and claimed that the RUC took almost an hour to answer a call from a member of the public. Loyalists were believed to be responsible for the blast.^[32]

The INLA threatened to shot Protestants if the parade in Belfast was allowed to go ahead, while the LVF vowed to shot people in the Republic if the marches were stopped. The later threat was taken "very seriously" by Gardaí commander Pat Byrne, who put on alert all security checkpoints along the border.^[16]

The Orange Order vowed to gather its entire organization at Ormeau Park if the parade there was banned. Converserly, the Bogside Residents Group called for a huge demonstration to stop the 12th July Orange march in Derry.^[41]

Thursday 10 July

In Belfast, the North of Ireland Rugby & Cricket Club and the Carnmoney Church of Ireland were damaged in arson attacks. There was a security alert at Newry RUC station and the Ulster Unionist Party Headquarters received a hoax letter bomb in the post.^[44] In Lisnaskea, five commercial buildings owned by Orangemen were attacked and an Orange hall was petrol-bombed in Waterside, Derry.^[44]

Violence waned as the Orange Order announced it was reconsidering the route of several parades.^[2] A dissident group inside the Order called the decision a "terrible betrayal".^[4]

Friday 11 July

On 11 July in North Belfast, the IRA launched a gun and bomb attack on a checkpoint guarded by a Saxon armoured vehicle. Three British soldiers and two RUC officers were injured. The IRA unit fired 56 shots from two AK-47 assault rifles and also threw a coffee-jar bomb.^[35] The soldiers were members of the recently arrived Staffordshire Regiment.^[45] In a separate incident on Doon Road, in the Suffolk area of Belfast, an RUC/British Army patrol was the target of a grenade attack.^[35] The Independent reported that two teenage Protestants at an Eleventh Night bonfire were shot and wounded by republicans.^[45] There were also a number of clashes between nationalists and security forces overnight.^[45] An Orange hall was burned in Bond street, Derry.^[36]

Aftermath

By 9 July, according to an RUC report, 60 RUC officers and 56 civilians had been injured while 117 people had been arrested. There had been 815 attacks on the security forces, 1,506 petrol bombs thrown and 402 hijackings. The RUC had fired 2,500 plastic bullets.^[2] According to other sources, over 100 people are believed to have been injured.^[2] The last IRA action took place on 12 July, when an improvised mortar round fell 40 yards short of the RUC/British Army base at Newtownhamilton, south County Armagh.^[46] Arsonists attacked an Orange hall in Warrenpoint, County Down and another in Rasharkin, County Antrim.^[36]

The violence died down on 10 July when the Orange Order decided unilaterally to re-route six parades. The following day, Orangemen and residents agreed to waive another march in Newtownbutler, County Fermanagh.^[2] In Pomeroy, County Tyrone, nationalist residents blocked Orangemen's return parade with a counter-demonstration,^[47] while the marches in Newry^[4] and Lower Ormeau were canceled outright.^[3] The Order's gesture was unheard of in its 202-year history. According to Anglican minister and orangeman Bill Hoey "this was an extremely bitter pill to swallow, but the powers that be made it clear to us that to have taken any other decision would have meant civil war."^[48]

This was the last time that the Orange Order was allowed to parade through nationalist areas around Drumcree.^[49]

In a parallel development, on 9 July the British government assured Sinn Féin that in the event of a new IRA ceasefire, representatives of that party would be allowed to meet with government ministers. A week later, Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness called for a renewal of the IRA 1994 ceasefire. The IRA announced the restoration of the ceasefire on 19 July.^[2]

The Last Gunman, a photograph taken by Brendan Murphy of an IRA man firing an AK-47 on Ormeau Road, became an iconic image of the Troubles.^[50]

See also

• 1969 Northern Ireland riots
• Drumcree conflict
• Chronology of Provisional Irish Republican Army actions (1990-1999)

References

External links

• ITN News report about the riots (6 July 1997) on YouTube
• Another news report about the riots (7 July 1997) on YouTube